WotC Ray Winninger Steps Back From WotC

Former leader of the D&D team Ray Winninger has announced his departure from WotC, having "accomplished the ambitious goals we set". Dan Rawson was announced the new head of D&D earlier this month, leading many to speculate about Winninger's departure.

"Sorry for the radio silence; I'm in the midst of a SORELY needed Long Rest. I have indeed left WotC, having accomplished the ambitious goals we set when I took over the D&D team.

Shepherding D&D was an honor and a privilege, but I'm looking forward to slowing down and getting back to a list of personal design projects. (Gamers, you haven't seen the last of me!) Most of all, I look forward to following D&D as a fan again.

Proud of the team I left behind; D&D is in very good hands: @JeremyECrawford, @ChrisPerkinsDnD, @DroidsForSale, @dtovar77, Liz Schuh, Kate Irwin, Trish Yochum, @aquelajames, @FWesSchneider, @MakenzieLaneDA, @amandahamon, Emi Tanji, Bree Heiss, @doctorcomics. @justicearman

@RPGRonLundeen, @BillBenham2, Rob Hawkey, Ben Petrisor, @Dan_Dillon_1, @EytanBernstein, Adrian Ng, Janica Carter, @chrislindsay, @TrystanFalcone, @mattchucole, Bob Jordan, @christulach, Natalie Egan, Hilary Ross, Carl Sibley. Thanks for being such great adventuring companions."

 

[JEB]

He was definitely posting as a WotC insider after July, so it could be that he gave notice and trained his replacement, because he didn't want the job anymore. We just don't know anything.

There was probably a transitional period, but the writing was on the wall when Brink came in, and therefore the decision must have been made earlier than that.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

He was definitely posting as a WotC insider after July, so it could be that he gave notice and trained his replacement, because he didn't want the job anymore. We just don't know anything.

Yeah, it could be anything from health reasons to winning the lottery. People leave jobs all the time and just because outsiders think a job is something they'd have for life doesn't mean the people in those roles agree.

 

[Mistwell]

They've not once released a VTT, period. You're speculating based on what you're hoping will happen instead of looking at the facts on the ground.

None of this looks like facts on the ground from my perspective. All we have is the existing DNDBeyond (which plenty supports homebrew) and what they've said they plan to do (continue with hardcopy books simultaneous with digital). All the rest of what you're arguing looks like conjecture with a dose of pessimism.

 

[Zaukrie]

They've not once released a VTT, period. You're speculating based on what you're hoping will happen instead of looking at the facts on the ground.

4e tools.... And the licensed DNDbeyond.... All allow homebrew. Sure, I'm speculating..... Just like the people saying the world is ending.

 

[EpicureanDM]

Which also suggests that his departure isn't necessarily a sign of the apocalypse. I'd like to think we'd all notice if it was raining blood up in this joint

A former TTRPG designer who hadn't published any TTRPG products in decades found himself in charge of the most powerful and storied brand in the TTRPG hobby, and launched the process for a new edition of this game that would surely have had his name on it (ensuring some small legacy in this hobby's history), only to depart the project that he spearheaded while that project is still in active development and see it put in the hands of people whose professional resumes drip with video game credits rather than TTRPG design credits.

Yeah, sure, it must be calm waters over on the D&D team.

 

[Zaukrie]

People leave jobs all the time. You literally have no idea what's going on.

 

[Alzrius]

No, because I don't want to give bad faith YouTubers the clicks.

His entire schtick is that everyone -- including you and me -- are stupid.

It's his reflexive stance that everything is terrible, because it drives engagement. Given that it's what he's doing in all of his videos, I think it's fair to assume that many of these are bad faith arguments.

There's plenty of discussion going on here and elsewhere that are worth going into. But "Dungeon Masterpiece" (sure, bro) is not a place I look to for salient arguments.

Just out of curiosity, how many of his videos have you watched? Because I've seen just shy of a dozen or so, and that's not been my impression at all. Yes, he has advice about aspects of gameplay, which I suppose could be taken as an implicit assumption that you (in the general sense of "you") need advice to begin with, but that's not exactly a stinging rebuke. For that matter, he also has critiques and criticisms of various aspects of the game, but who doesn't? You can't look around this forum without finding someone talking about exactly that; likewise, he doesn't characterize people as being stupid, at least not that I've seen.

EDIT: For those curious, his videos can be found over here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/DungeonMasterpiece/videos

 

[EpicureanDM]

People leave jobs all the time. You literally have no idea what's going on.

Obviously. It's just what I've observed.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Just out of curiosity, how many of his videos have you watched? Because I've seen just shy of a dozen or so, and that's not been my impression at all. Yes, he has advice about aspects of gameplay, which I suppose could be taken as an implicit assumption that you (in the general sense of "you") need advice to begin with, but that's not exactly a stinging rebuke. For that matter, he also has critiques and criticisms of various aspects of the game, but who doesn't? You can't look around this forum without finding someone talking about exactly that; likewise, he doesn't characterize people as being stupid, at least not that I've seen.

I went through a period a few months ago where I was watching a lot of YouTube channels and every time I landed on his videos, it was him saying something was terrible and awful or how "you're doing X wrong." There are definitely other YouTubers who do this as well, but it doesn't make any of them good at anything other than working the algorithm. If I had to guess, maybe half a dozen of his videos?

And, to be clear, I dislike some other D&D YouTubers much more, some of whom's only mode is to run around with their hair on fire screaming about how everything is about to fall apart (and yes, we can certainly find that here).

But I also don't see anything in his videos -- or most YouTubers' videos -- that makes them worth citing in a debate. I would cite Matt Colville before I'd cite almost anyone else, because he actually does the stuff, and he also approaches things with nuance, which is terrible for the algorithm. (Also, I find Matt's continual hair and facial hair changes fascinating. The guy has the most lively follicles I've ever seen.)

 

[vecna00]

I went through a period a few months ago where I was watching a lot of YouTube channels and every time I landed on his videos, it was him saying something was terrible and awful or how "you're doing X wrong." There are definitely other YouTubers who do this as well, but it doesn't make any of them good at anything other than working the algorithm. If I had to guess, maybe half a dozen of his videos?

And, to be clear, I dislike some other D&D YouTubers much more, some of whom's only mode is to run around with their hair on fire screaming about how everything is about to fall apart (and yes, we can certainly find that here).

But I also don't see anything in his videos -- or most YouTubers' videos -- that makes them worth citing in a debate. I would cite Matt Colville before I'd cite almost anyone else, because he actually does the stuff, and he also approaches things with nuance, which is terrible for the algorithm. (Also, I find Matt's continual hair and facial hair changes fascinating. The guy has the most lively follicles I've ever seen.)

Plus, Colville is a game designer. That carries weight.