“We regularly talk to Tencent and enjoy multiple partnerships with them across a number of our IPs. We don’t make a habit of commenting on internet rumors, but to be clear: we are not looking to sell our D&D IP. We will keep talking to partners about how we bring the best digital experiences to our fans. We won’t comment any further on speculation or rumors about potential M&A or licensing deals.”
The fact that it’s “DND” makes the rumour incredibly sus since that’s not what the IP is called. It’s only a colloquialism. Hasbro/WOTC always use the ampersand since it’s part of the D&D branding.
The article clearly says they use the shorthand “DND” for their article. The fact that’s it’s “DND” and not D&D is likely due to the fact that it’s a chinese publication and also maybe a stylistic choice.