Wizards of the Coast, publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, has decided against changing the Open Gaming License (OGL) following backlash from fans and third-party publishers.
The news announced on Friday, comes ahead of the release of a movie starring Chris Pine and amid widespread coverage of the issue. Instead, Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast will place the game under Creative Commons.
The Open Gaming License (OGL) has been in place for over 20 years and has provided a legal framework for the creation of tabletop RPGs alongside the Hasbro-owned Dungeons & Dragons.
It has also contributed to the growth of the role-playing game industry, with popular products from companies such as Paizo and Kobold Press and individual creators.
However, proposed changes to the OGL, which were leaked and first reported in early January, caused concern among fans and third-party publishers and received widespread media attention, including coverage by NPR and CNBC.
On January 19th, D&D’s Executive Producer Kyle Brink issued an apology and released a new version of the OGL, labelled OGL 1.2, seeking feedback from fans.
The feedback period was set to close on February 3rd, with further revisions to follow. However, following feedback from over 15,000 fans, the plans for changes have been dropped.
“We take your playtest feedback seriously,” wrote Brink on Friday.
The existing Open Gaming License (OGL) 1.0a will remain unchanged, and D&D will be made more open than ever before, as the Systems Reference Document, which contains the published rules and lore of the game, will be placed under a Creative Commons license.
The license, provided by a non-profit organization aimed at promoting the sharing of knowledge and creativity, will make the content freely available for any use and cannot be altered or revoked by Wizards of the Coast.
However, the recent controversy has resulted in some fans publicly declaring their support for #OpenDnD and their intention to support the once-popular tabletop role-playing game no longer.
Other publishers have also emerged, including a group of developers in Europe and in the United States.
The impact of the negative sentiment towards the brand may be reflected in the success of the upcoming movie “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” starring Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez, set to be released on March 31.
The decision by Wizards of the Coast to keep the existing OGL and place the Systems Reference Document under a Creative Commons license is a positive step towards promoting open access to knowledge and creativity.
Despite some negative reactions from fans, the move is expected to benefit the role-playing game industry and provide opportunities for new and exciting products.
The future of Dungeons & Dragons remains uncertain, but the commitment to openness and transparency is a step in the right direction.
