Dire Wolf Digital Acquires Fandom's Tabletop Business
Deal Includes Cortex RPG Rules System and the ENNIE Award-Winning Tales of Xadia: The Dragon Prince Roleplaying Game
New Tales of Xadia Expansion Already in Development with Partners at Wonderstorm
San Francisco, CA - August 30, 2022 – Fandom, the world's largest fan platform, today announced that Dire Wolf Digital will acquire Cortex, the company's tabletop role playing game (TTRPG) business. From the creators of D&D Beyond and award-winning designer Cam Banks, the highly-customizable Cortex system empowers tabletop players of all skill levels to build their own worlds, characters, and stories using a standardized set of modular rules and mechanics. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Dire Wolf Digital will now manage the ENNIE award-winning Tales of Xadia: The Dragon Prince Roleplaying Game, which is based on the critically-acclaimed Netflix series, The Dragon Prince, and created in partnership with Wonderstorm, Inc. Due to its popularity, an expansion—titled "Tales of Xadia: The Sunfire Chronicle"—is already in development.
"As we looked to exit the RPG business with our recent sale of D&D Beyond to Hasbro, we were laser focused on finding Cortex the right home with a company who would nurture and grow the business with a fan-first mindset. I'm confident we found that with Dire Wolf Digital," said Michael Chiang, Chief Business Officer at Fandom. "Dire Wolf's enthusiasm and passion for the RPG space, as well as their intent to dive right in and grow the product with a new expansion already in development, will ensure fans won't miss a beat and are well taken care of for years to come."
"We're incredibly excited by the prospect of pairing what Cortex and Tales of Xadia have begun with our expertise in creating digital experiences," said Scott Martins, President of Dire Wolf Digital. "We are huge fans of The Dragon Prince, and we're looking forward to Season 4 along with everyone else. We're especially excited about working with Wonderstorm on even more great experiences for fans of Tales of Xadia going forward."
"We always knew the world of Xadia was too big to be explored through our series alone, and crafting Tales of Xadia alongside the Cortex team at Fandom has been a dream come true," said Justin Santistevan, president and co-founder of Wonderstorm, Inc. "Now, as we move closer to the release of Season 4 of The Dragon Prince, we're excited to embark on a new chapter with Dire Wolf Digital. Their experience and passion for tabletop games assures us Xadia is in good hands, and that 'The Sunfire Chronicle' will continue to engage and delight fans of the original TTRPG."
Joe LeFavi of Genuine Entertainment facilitated the deal and served as a strategic advisor on the transaction.
ABOUT FANDOM
Fandom is the world's largest fan platform where fans immerse themselves in imagined worlds across entertainment and gaming. Reaching more than 300 million unique visitors per month and hosting more than 250,000 wikis, Fandom.com is the #1 source for in-depth information on pop culture, gaming, TV and film, where fans learn about and celebrate their favorite fandoms. Fandom's Gaming division manages the online video game retailer Fanatical. Fandom Productions, the content arm of Fandom, enhances the fan experience through curated editorial coverage and branded content, its Emmy-nominated Honest Trailers and the weekly video news program The Loop. For more information follow @getfandom or visit: www.Fandom.com.
ABOUT DIRE WOLF DIGITAL
Denver-based Dire Wolf is the creator and publisher of award-winning digital and physical strategy games. Titles include the Kennerspiel des Jahr -nominated and SXSW Tabletop Game of the Year winner Dune: Imperium, the hit line of Clank! board games, Eternal® Card Game, and acclaimed digital board game adaptations of Root, Everdell Sagrada and others. www.DireWolfDigital.com
ABOUT CORTEX
Tales of Xadia is primed by Cortex, a rules system previously used in award-winning games in the universes of Marvel, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, and more. Designed by Cam Banks, the ENNIE-award winning Cortex Prime is the latest iteration of the system. Visit TalesOfXadia.com for Tales of Xadia: The Dragon Prince Roleplaying Game Handbook. Check out the free Rules Primer, twelve free ready-made characters, and two free tales. For more Cortex Prime experiences, you can try another Cortex game for free with the Hammerheads spotlight game, available now at CortexRPG.com.
Press Contacts
Rachelle Savoia - (470) 306-1609 - rsavoia@fandom.com
Brenna Harran - (631) 902-9801 - bharran@fandom.com
Matt Hudson - mhudson@direwolfdigital.com