Wizards Of The Coast Releases New Statement In Ongoing D&D OGL Controversy

Wizards of the Coast released a new statement this week in the ongoing controversy over rumored changes to the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop system. Wizards, which also owns the popular card game Magic: The Gathering, has faced heavy criticism from D&D players and independent publishers over the past few days, with some even so far as to boycott the game entirely.

In the statement, D&D executive producer Kyle Brink describes a "path forward" for D&D, as well as apologizing for the company's actions. Brink explains that Wizards will work with fans and content creators to create a new Open Game License--the key legal document at the center of the controversy--in the same way that it handles playtest materials for the game. A survey will ask players for their feedback after they review the new draft of the OGL.

Brink further states that this new OGL will not change many key aspects of the world of D&D, including video content, virtual tabletop programs like Roll20 and Foundry, and content produced under the previous version of the OGL, such as old modules. Brink also states that the new OGL will not have a revenue reporting requirement or any ownership/license requirements, two widely-criticized aspects of the leaked draft.

As with Wizards' previous statement, it remains to be seen how the larger D&D community will respond to this. As explained in a recent feature, several major D&D partners have already announced major moves away from the brand, and this seems unlikely to stem the tide.