Is money no object? After Tesla CEO Elon Musk acquired social media platform Twitter in October 2022 and rebranded it as X, a move widely criticized by users, the American business magnate has reportedly set his sights on Hasbro, the toy and entertainment giant behind major IPs like "Dungeons & Dragons," "Transformers," and "Magic: The Gathering."
This development follows Musk's recent criticism of the current video game industry on X, where he announced his intention to launch his own AI-powered gaming studio to "make video games great again." He then criticized "Dungeons & Dragons" lead designer Jason Tondro's foreword in the "Making of D&D" 40th-anniversary book, making controversial remarks that implied a lack of respect for the tabletop game.
A week later, after an X user echoed criticism of Tondro's comments, Musk responded with a simple, yet provocative question: "How much for Hasbro?"
While the comment might seem casual, it echoes a similar query from 2017 when Musk asked "how much for Twitter," only to acquire the social media platform seven years later. This history suggests his latest remark might be more than just a passing thought. Given his known fandom for "Dungeons & Dragons," the possibility of him pursuing Hasbro cannot be entirely dismissed.
Should the billionaire indeed acquire Hasbro and successfully establish his AI gaming studio, it's conceivable that, beyond "Dungeons & Dragons," other major IPs such as "Transformers," "Magic: The Gathering" (MTG), and "My Little Pony" could also be integrated into his ambitious AI gaming plans.