Hasbro : Dungeons & Dragons puts down roots in Montréal
Optimus Prime, Fiona and The Yawning Portal now have a place to call home in Montréal: Hasbro has officially inaugurated the new Wizards of the Coast Studios in the heart of the city. Its team will develop the highly successful Dungeons & Dragons franchise, along with other major titles from the group.
More than 150 employees and partners, including Chantal Gagnon, the City of Montréal Executive Committee member responsible for economic development and the green economy, gathered at the new offices on October 7 to mark the inauguration of this new development hub.
Optimus Prime, Fyona et The Yawning Portal, trois emblèmes des productions à succès du groupe Hasbro, ont désormais leur pied-à-terre à Montréal. Le groupe a officiellement inauguré les Studios Wizards of the Coast, en plein cœur du centre-ville. L’équipe locale sera au cœur du développement de la célèbre franchise Dungeons & Dragons.
Plus de 150 employés et partenaires, dont Chantal Gagnon, responsable du développement économique et de l’économie verte au comité exécutif de la Ville de Montréal se sont rassemblés dans les nouveaux bureaux le 7 octobre dernier pour souligner leur ouverture officielle.
From left to right : Mélissa Denis (Montréal International), Dan Ayoub (Wizards of the Coast), Chloé Raymond-Lebel (Montréal International), Chantal Gagnon (Ville de Montréal) et Alexandre Lagarde (Montréal International)
Spanning more than 35,000 square feet, the space was designed to reflect Hasbro’s iconic worlds. It features a recreation of the famous Yawning Portal tavern, large-scale representations of Optimus Prime and Fiona, as well as nods to classic games such as Risk, Monopoly and Scrabble. The studio also includes specialized spaces, including a gaming lounge where teams can test titles currently in development. The studio was designed and built by design firm Avantage Plus (A+).
The company plans to welcome some 200 employees by 2028. Led by Montréal’s Dan Ayoub, the team will also contribute to other titles across the group.
“This studio will bring together the largest concentration of video game talent anywhere at Hasbro, right here in Montréal, home to one of the world’s richest game development ecosystems. We are here to create the next generation of digital games with the exceptional talent that makes Montréal unique,” said Dan Ayoub, the new President of Wizards of the Coast & Hasbro Digital Games.
Wizards of the Coast has been part of Greater Montréal’s video game ecosystem since 2019, when it acquired Invoke Studios. With the opening of this studio, Montréal strengthens its role in the group’s development and digital innovation activities.
On October 30, CBC Radio Noon asked fans, “What does Dungeons & Dragons mean to you?” during a one-hour call-in show featuring Dan Ayoub. You can also read Hasbro’s press release.
