In a shocking turn of events, Wizards of the Coast has backed down on its attempts to deauthorize its original Open Game License forDungeons and Dragons. By doing so, the months-long struggle between Wizards of the Coast and its community over the future ofDungeons and Dragonshas come to a tentative end.Recently, severaldrafts for a newDungeons and DragonsOGLcame to light through leaks and official statements. The first draft introduced greater control over third-party content creators and included royalties and license-back clauses. The second draft walked these decisions back, but still had some troubling sections many players feared would be used to police third-party products.RELATED:Critical Role Announces Mighty Nein Series Coming to Amazon Prime VideoHowever, in a surprise decision, Wizards of the Coast has backed down on its push to revoke the old OGL and replace it with a new one. Recent survey results showed about 90% ofDungeons and Dragonsplayers were dissatisfied with the new OGL, and wanted to preserve the original document as is. Rather than publishing a new draft,Wizards of the Coast has abandoned the new OGL projectand has promised to leave the original version as is, even pulling the survey early in the process.
If preserving the original OGL was not a big enough victory,Dungeons and Dragonsalso just published a huge 5.1 SRD under the Creative Commons license. This 400-page document is more than twice the size of the content originally suggested by the OGL 1.2 and contains virtuallyeverything in theDungeons and DragonsPlayer’s Handbook, including species, classes, items, and even some monster stat blocks. It has already shared this PDF under Creative Commons, meaning it can never revoke its free use by players in the future.
This is a massive win forDungeons and Dragonsfans. Players have been protesting the proposed changes to the original OGL since the controversy surfaced, with Twitter trends, petitions, andcalls for boycotts flooding theDungeons and Dragonscommunity. The results of the over 15,000 players who completed the survey directly informed this decision, proving collective voices can change corporate minds if they are loud enough.
That said, players are quick to remind their fellow fans this huge victory doesn’t mean the fight is over. Though5th Edition Dungeons and Dragonsis now protected by Creative Commons, it is still uncertain howOne D&Dwill be handled when it releases. The controversy surrounding this OGL incident has crippled Wizards of the Coast’s reputation, and while this move is a big step in the right direction, it will have to keep up this momentum if it wants to earn back the community’s faith.
Dungeons and Dragonsis available now.One D&Dis in development.
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