Summary
Last week, Wizards of the Coast’s planned removal of 5E character sheets from D&D Beyondwas a major topic of discussion for myDungeons & Dragonsgroup. Though we weren’t going to be directly impacted — we use Roll20 to avoid issues like this — we were sympathetic to the many players who were afraid of losing their characters. After all, just becauseDungeons & Dragonsiscoming out with a new edition, doesn’t mean every playgroup will be immediately abandoning their fifth edition (5E) games.
Plenty of players still enjoy 5E, and some likely don’t want to interrupt their ongoing campaigns by reworking all their characters to fit in with the new ruleset. Some friends that I’ve played with for years still haven’t had time to learn all the 5E rules, and they would likely be turned off by having to learn a new set of rules just to keep playing. Luckily, these proposed changes did not end up sticking, andthings are looking better forD&Dgoing forward.
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Wizards Of The Coast Reversed Their Controversial D&D Beyond Decision Thanks To Players
D&D Beyond Will No Longer Be Deleting 5E Character Sheets
Following a vocal backlash fromD&Dplayers,Wizards of the Coast decided to walk back their initial plans to scrub 5E character sheetsfrom D&D Beyond. They announced this decision on Twitter through the officialD&D Beyondaccount, making it clear that there would now be two different options for the type of characters one can build. I was very excited to see this reversed decision, not just for the players who it would affect but also because of what it meant about theD&Dcommunity.
I’m happy to see that theD&Dcommunity continues to advocate for the healthy maintenance of the game and related resources like D&D Beyond. I’m even happier to see that Wizards of the Coast is actually receptive to hearing this type of criticism and taking it in. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, and it’s nice to see that this is somewhat of a pattern.
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This Isn’t The First Time Wizards Has Been Convinced To Reverse Course On D&D
Wizards Previously Walked Back Planned Changes To Their Open Gaming License
Back at the start of 2023, Wizards of the Coast had landed themselves in anotherD&D-related controversy. That time, it was due to a leak that showedthe company was planning to revise its Open Gaming License (OGL). The proposed changes to the OGL would limit players' ability to profit off of custom content that they developed forDungeons & Dragons. Even more concerningly, some of the language suggested that Wizards of the Coast would have the right to print player-created content in officialD&Dmaterials without the express permission of the creator.
Following this leak,a similar large-scale backlash from theDungeons & Dragonscommunity took place online. Even major TTRPG creators likeCritical Rolegot involved in the conversation, coming down squarely on the side of independent developers. All this pressure eventually got Wizards of the Coast to reverse their decision and maintain the original version of the OGL. While I remember being happy about the decision at the time, there was still an underlying anxiety that this wasn’t the end of this type of issue withD&D.
Wizards Of The Coast’s Continued Reception To Player Voices Is Encouraging
Wizards Continuing To Listen To Their Fans Is A Good Sign
Following the OGL controversy, I was concerned that it was only a matter of time before Wizards of the Coast would attempt another major change toD&D. Part of my concern came fromHasbro’s 2019 annual report, which states on page 3 that they wanted to double Wizards of the Coast’s profits by 2024. This increased pressure on the company made it seem inevitable that Wizards would continue trying to find ways to profit more fromD&D, potentially at the expense of the game.
It is because of these concerns thatI found it so encouraging when Wizards of the Coast decided to once again listen to theD&Dcommunity and change their mind. While I have no illusions that Wizards will have to continue trying to makeD&Dmore profitable, it is at least encouraging that they won’t be doing so completely unchecked. It is rare to see companies be so receptive to criticism, and I hope that it is a trend that will continue.
I’m Hopeful The D&D Community Can Continue To Shape The Game’s Development
D&D’s Community Is Essential For The Game’s Continued Popularity
I would be shocked if this was the last time Wizards of the Coast made a decision like this that upsets a large number of players. That said, so long as they continue to be receptive to criticism and care about what fans want, the community can have just as much impact on the game as its developers. I can’t think of a better way for a naturally collaborative game likeDungeons & Dragonsto be developed.
It’s also important that Wizards of the Coast recognizes that the resurgence inD&D’s popularity happened shortly after 5E was released and has continued since, in large part, thanks to the game’s thriving community.Artists, content creators, and independent developers who homebrew new elements for the game are just as important for keepingD&Daliveas Wizards of the Coast. If WotC tries to strong-arm this community into paying more forD&Dby deleting their characters or shutting down their creative expression, they would likely just play different TTRPGs.
As it stands, it seems like Wizards of the Coast has learned its lesson about how important it is to keep theDungeons & Dragonscommunity happy. Hopefully, it isn’t a lesson they will need to continue learning through events like this or the OGL controversy. I know that I feel much more confident checking out one ofD&D’s new sourcebooks now that Wizards won’t think my purchase was the direct result of their bad decision with D&D Beyond.
