Atari Loses Dungeons & Dragons License, Neverwinter Delayed

According to a press release issued to us earlier today, Hasbro and Atari have settled on the lawsuit over the Dungeons & Dragons license that reared its head back in December of 2009. The exact details on the settlement are unknown, but the end result has put the Dungeons & Dragons license back in Hasbro’s hands and caused a delay of Cryptic Studios’ Neverwinter until late 2012 while still securing a future for Daggerdale and Heroes of Neverwinter:

HASBRO AND ATARI RESOLVE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS RIGHTS DISPUTE

August 15, 2011 (Renton, WA) Wizards of the Coast LLC, Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) and Atari, S.A. announced today the settlement and resolution of the complaint against Atari, S.A. and the counterclaims filed by Atari, S.A. against Hasbro, Inc. filed in December 2009 in regards to the Dungeons & Dragons brand.

Digital licensing rights for Dungeons & Dragons have been returned to Hasbro. Atari will continue to develop and market several games under license from Hasbro and Wizards, including the #1 Xbox LIVE® hit Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale and the upcoming Heroes of Neverwinter for Facebook. Additional settlement details remain private.

In addition, the acquisition of Cryptic Studios by Perfect World Entertainment Inc. from Atari in July 2011 has delayed the Neverwinter PC Game scheduled for release later this year. Perfect World will be investing in a more immersive experience for release in late 2012.