As reported last week, Wizards had plans for a new OGL This “severely limits the types of content allowed and requires anyone making money under the license to report their products directly to Wizards of the Coast.” reactions about this leaked proposal were so negative that as cube breaker Cluesthey provoked “An onslaught of bad press that included competitors like Paizo and Kobold Press creating an independently monitored open license for developing their own tabletop games.”
Now that Wizards have had time to examine the wreck, they have admitted they were wrong. Very wrong. In a blog post published earlier today Kyle Brink, Executive Producer at D&DShe said: “Let me start with an apology. We apologize. We got it wrong.”
Brink says Wizards will be “more open and transparent” going forward and that future changes to the OGL will be made in consultation with fans. You can read his full statement below:
Hi. I’m Kyle Brink, executive producer of D&D. It’s my team that makes the game that we all play.
D&D was a big part of my life long before I worked at Wizards and will be long after I’m done. My mission and that of the entire D&D team is to bring everyone the creative joy and lifelong friendships that D&D gave us.
The past few days and weeks have been incredibly tough for everyone. As players, fans and administrators of the game, we cannot and will not allow things to continue like this.
I’m here today to talk about a way forward.
First, however, I would like to start with an apology. We apologize. We got it wrong.
Our language and requirements in the OGL design were disruptive to creators and did not support our core goals of protecting and maintaining an inclusive gaming environment and confining the OGL to TTRPGs. Then we made things worse by being silent for too long. We hurt fans and creators when more frequent and clearer communication could have prevented so much of that.
From now on, we’re going to do this in a better way: more openly and transparently, with our entire creator community. Iterate over time, get feedback, improve.
If this sounds familiar, that’s because we do it that way for the game itself. So let’s do the same for the OGL.
We listen, then share what we hear, much like we do in our Unearthed Arcana and One D&D playtests. This will be a solid conversation before we release a future version of the OGL.
Here’s what you can expect.
– On or before Friday, January 20th, we will be releasing new proposed OGL documentation for your review and feedback, much like we do with playtest material.
– After reviewing the proposed OGL, you can fill out a short survey – similar to the Unearthed Arcana playtest feedback surveys. It will ask you specific questions about the document and will contain open form fields to share your other feedback.
– The survey will remain open for at least two weeks, and we will notify you in advance before it closes so that anyone who wishes to take part can take the survey. Then we will collate, analyze, act on and report back what we have heard from you.
After all, you deserve some stability and clarity. We strive to give creators both input and space to prepare for each OGL update. Also, there are a lot of things that aren’t affected by an OGL update. So today, right now, we’re going to lay out all the areas that this conversation isn’t going to touch on.
Any changes to the OGL will not affect at least These creative endeavors:
– Your video content. Whether you’re a commentator, streamer, podcaster, liveplay performer, or other video creator on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok, you’ve always been covered by the Content Policy for Wizards Fans. The OGL does not (and will not) touch any of this.
– Your accessories for your own content. No changes to the OGL will affect your ability to sell minis, novels, clothing, dice, and other items related to your creations, characters, and worlds.
– Unpublished work, e.g. B. Commissioned work. You use the OGL if you want to publish your works that reference fifth edition content through the SRD. This means commissioned work, paid DM services, advice, etc. are not affected by the OGL.
– VTT content. Any updates to the OGL will continue to allow any creator to publish content on VTTs, and VTT publishers will continue to be able to use OGL content on their platform.
– DMs guild content. The content you publish on DMs Guild is published under a community content agreement with Dungeon Masters Guild. This doesn’t change.
– Your OGL 1.0a content. Nothing will affect content you published under OGL 1.0a. This is always licensed under OGL 1.0a.
– Her earnings. There are no license fees or financial reporting requirements.
– Your ownership of your content. You will continue to own your content without the need for a license back.
That was all from me for now. You will hear back from us on or before Friday as described above and we look forward to speaking with you.
Kyle Brink
Executive Producer, Dungeons & Dragons
