Genuine Entertainment served as a strategic advisor on Dire Wolf Digital‘s acquisition of Cortex, the tabletop role playing game (TTRPG) business from Fandom, the world’s largest fan platform. Along with acquiring the underlying rights to the Cortex RPG System, Dire Wolf will now also manage the ENNIE award-winning Tales of Xadia: The Dragon Prince Roleplaying Game based on the hit Netflix series The Dragon Prince and created in partnership with Wonderstorm, Inc. Genuine’s CEO Joe LeFavi brought Fandom and Dire Wolf together, facilitating the deal and remaining involved post acquisition as Managing Producer of the Tales of Xadia RPG series and Wonderstorm’s brand manager overseeing their master tabletop gaming rights.

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. Tales of Xadia is the first licensed RPG based upon the Cortex RPG system, and due to its popularity, a new expansion entitled “Tales of Xadia: The Sunfire Chronicle” is already in development.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“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.”