A glass office building on a brick plaza in Boston's Seaport District at sunset, illustrating the Hasbro Boston headquarters move.

Hasbro Boston Move: 587 Jobs Shift to Seaport in January

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The Hasbro Boston headquarters move now has a firm timeline. The Pawtucket, R.I., toy and game maker filed a federal WARN Act notice on Oct. 8, 2026, telling Rhode Island officials that 587 positions will be affected on Dec. 24 as the company shifts its main offices to 400 Summer St. in Boston’s Seaport District, The Boston Globe reported on Oct. 13.

The move at a glance: 587 Rhode Island positions covered by the notice; a 265,000-square-foot headquarters on seven floors; at least 700 full-time employees expected in Boston, according to Hasbro’s 2025 announcement; Rhode Island jobs affected Dec. 24, 2026; Boston start in the first week of January 2027.

What the WARN Notice Says

According to the Globe, the notice was filed with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training. In a letter to the department and Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien, Hasbro chief people officer Holly Barbacovi wrote that each of the 587 employees had been offered the chance to keep their job at the new Boston location. The Globe reported that the Boston start date in the letter is Jan. 4, 2027. Providence Business First reported a Jan. 5 reporting date and said employees who do not relocate will see their employment end during a 14-day window.

Hasbro spokesperson Abby Hodes told the Globe that the filing is “a formal notice of our move to Boston” and “does not represent a new announcement or layoff notice.” She said the company told employees about the move on Sept. 1, 2025, and has been supporting them through the transition. Providence Business First reported that Grebien criticized the company over what he described as a lack of community engagement.

How Hasbro Chose the Seaport

Hasbro announced the relocation on Sept. 8, 2025. In its release, the company said 400 Summer St., a building developed and owned by WS Development, would become the primary headquarters for its toys, board games and licensing businesses and for most corporate services. The company said it would occupy seven floors totaling 265,000 square feet and that at least 700 full-time employees were expected to transition from Rhode Island to Boston by the end of 2026.

The Globe has reported that Hasbro passed on offers and incentives from Rhode Island leaders who tried to keep the company in the state. Hasbro’s gaming and digital businesses, including Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, remain headquartered in Renton, Wash., where the company said it had more than 500 employees.

Gov. Maura Healey said in the 2025 release that the state was “ready to support the hundreds of jobs they will create here.” Mayor Michelle Wu said she was “delighted to welcome Hasbro to its new home in Boston.” Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks said Boston’s business community, academic partnerships and culture, together with the Seattle-area team, would give the company “an unparalleled foundation for growth.”

What It Means for the Seaport Office Market

The arrival lands during a mixed stretch for Seaport offices. Earlier this month, Amazon put about half of its new Seaport tower on the sublease market, as we reported in our Amazon Seaport sublease story. At the same time, top-tier Boston buildings are commanding record rents, according to our look at record Boston office rents and law-firm moves. Nearby, Life Time is preparing a large club at Commonwealth Pier, covered in our Life Time Commonwealth Pier report.

Our Take

This section is analysis and opinion, separate from the reporting above.

A brand-name consumer company bringing hundreds of daily workers to one Seaport address is a real win for the neighborhood’s restaurants, shops and transit, especially while other large tenants are giving space back. The bigger test is how many of the 587 Rhode Island employees actually make the move. Hasbro has framed this as a relocation, not a layoff, and the share of staff who accept will show whether that framing holds. For Boston, the case also shows that a large, finished, amenity-rich building can still win a headquarters even when a neighboring state offers incentives. We would watch for Hasbro hiring locally in early 2027 if the acceptance rate falls short of its 700-employee target.

Reactions

Hasbro has said the notice is a formality tied to a move announced more than a year ago, while Pawtucket’s mayor has voiced criticism of how the company has handled its exit, according to Providence Business First. State and city leaders in Massachusetts welcomed the decision when it was announced in 2025.

Sources