Posted in: Dungeons & Dragons, Games, Tabletop, Wizards of the Coast | Tagged: d&d, dungeons & dragons, hasbro, wizards of the coast, WotC

Dungeons & Dragons Posts New Statement On OGL Changes

Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast issue a statement about the OGL for Dungeons & Dragons, going back on their plans to launch it, for now.

Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast have posted a new statement on the changing Open Game License for Dungeons & Dragons, as it appears they are taking a giant step back. After several days of having backlash online to leaked content about their new Open Game License version 1.1, it appears plans for the launch of the new OGL have been scraped (for now). The company posted a statement on D&D Beyond's website, stating that the original intent of OGL 1.1 was to prevent their resources from being used in Web3, Blockchain titles, and NFTs, which would go against the spirit of the original OGL. The company went on to state that they could no longer move forward with the new license with the language they have in place, and are going to work on a new version for One D&D. Here's snippets from the post.

"The next OGL will contain the provisions that allow us to protect and cultivate the inclusive environment we are trying to build and specify that it covers only content for TTRPGs. That means that other expressions, such as educational and charitable campaigns, livestreams, cosplay, VTT-uses, etc., will remain unaffected by any OGL update. Content already released under 1.0a will also remain unaffected.

What it will not contain is any royalty structure. It also will not include the license back provision that some people were afraid was a means for us to steal work. That thought never crossed our minds. Under any new OGL, you will own the content you create. We won't. Any language we put down will be crystal clear and unequivocal on that point. The license back language was intended to protect us and our partners from creators who incorrectly allege that we steal their work simply because of coincidental similarities. As we continue to invest in the game that we love and move forward with partnerships in film, television, and digital games, that risk is simply too great to ignore. The new OGL will contain provisions to address that risk, but we will do it without a license back and without suggesting we have rights to the content you create. Your ideas and imagination are what makes this game special, and that belongs to you."

While it does sound like the Dungeons & Dragons community made an impact, time will still tell as to whether or not the company damaged the game's reputation moving forward. Paizo is already moving forward with their own OGL that will have several other companies on board as a response to what was leaked. Hundreds of people took to social media to show they canceled their D&D Beyond subscription in protest, with many more saying they may not play the game moving forward. Even major organizations like Critical Role came out to affirm they stand by creators of third-party content, as you can see in the post below.

We'll keep an eye on this and see what comes of the future changes they have in mind, but regardless of what they do, it's pretty clear that trust has been broken with the community at large. It may take a lot of effort on WotC's part to make changes and repair it, and it puts the content they have coming out in 2023 and the launch of One D&D in a bind. But no matter what happens, it's pretty clear that if Hasbro or WotC come for creator's pocketbooks in any way, they're ready to leave D&D behind.

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