The Dungeons & Dragons license has been at the center of two controversies recently. One directly affects the makers, the other the players. After several days of silence, WotC is responding.
The year got off to a sad start for Dungeons & Dragons fans. Five unannounced video games based on the Wizards of the Coast universes have simply been discontinued to refocus on existing brands. That might include the famous big D&D game developed on Unreal Engine 5, but Baldur’s Gate 3 is still on the way. However, the famous paper RPG has been in the news lately for a very different reason.
Dungeons & Dragons at the heart of two controversies
Of leaks In the end, all sorts of things pointed to the free OGL 1.0a, i.e. the open license that allows anyone to use the rules of Dungeons & Dragons without using the names and brands. An initiative that has seen many RPG productions flourish, including Forgotten Chronicles and Pathfinder to name a few. However, official documents announce several important changes. Wizards of the Coast’s new OGL 1.1 license aimed to make a big difference by requiring 25% royalties on sales from companies that make more than $750,000 and have products using the license. WotC also reserved the right to remove a number of products within 30 days and even sell them in place of the creators.
In addition, the role-playing giant wanted to ban amateur productions, especially those based on outdated releases. These rumors caused quite a stir on the web, with publishers and players alike believing that these new terms and high percentage would be a way of rendering the Dungeons & Dragons OGL unusable for third parties. Another rumor hinted at a $29.99 subscription to D&D Beyond and collaborating with AIs to create future campaigns. An initiative deemed unacceptable by fans and players. Wizards of the Coast is finally coming out of its silence to deny some of those rumors in a series of tweets published on January 19th.
Wizards of the Coast responds and denies some rumours
Hello, everyone. We have seen that incorrect information has been circulating and we want to respond immediately to address your concerns. Rumors of a $30 subscription are false. And no, Wizards does not work with AIs as game masters. We have designers whose main job is to compile, analyze, and act on your feedback. Your feedback has helped us improve the game over the past decade, and your feedback is vital to the future of D&D.
D&D Beyond rumors denied, but what about the leaked OGL 1.1 blueprint? WotC made its mea culpa in an explanation published this Wednesday 18. ” We apologize. We were wrong Kyle Brink begins as executive producer of Dungeons & Dragons. The American company cites language errors and a desire to protect and maintain an inclusive gaming environment by limiting OGL to TTRPGs. A new version of the document will be offered in the coming days and both creators and players are encouraged to provide feedback for at least two weeks.
A new version of OGL 1.1 will be presented soon
However, changes are implemented well. ” We strive to give creators the opportunity to participate and prepare for every OGL update. Also, there are a lot of things unaffected by its update. the employee continues. Therefore not affected:
- Video content (streams, YouTube, comments, live play, etc.)
- The sale of accessories (figures, dice, characters, worlds, etc.)
- Unpublished Works
- Dungeon Masters Guild content
- Content from OGL 1.0a.
The creators of Dungeons & Dragons also confirm that they will not charge any royalties and will not challenge ownership of any content based on OGL 1.1. Now you just have to wait for the new official version of the document to discover the future changes.
