WotC Announces OGL 1.1 -- Revised Terms, Royalties, and Annual Revenue Reporting

There has been a lot of speculation recently about WotC's plans regarding the Open Gaming License and the upcoming One D&D. Today, WotC shared some information.

In short, they will be producing a new Open Gaming License (note that the previous OGL 1.0a will still exist, and can still be used). However, for those who use the new OGL 1.1, which will be released in early 2023, there will be some limitations added with regards the type of product which can use it, and -- possibly controversially -- reporting to WotC your annual OGL-related revenue.

They are also adding a royalty for those third party publishers who make more than $750K per year.

Interestingly, only books and 'static electronic files' like ebooks and PDFs will be compatible with the new OGL, meaning that apps, web pages, and the like will need to stick to the old OGL 1.0a.

There will, of course, be a lot of debate and speculation over what this actually means for third party creators, and how it will affect them. Some publishers like Paizo (for Pathfinder) and others will likely simply continue to use the old OGL. The OGL 1.0a allows WotC to update the license, but allows licensees to continue to use previous versions "to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License".

OGLs, SRDs, & One D&D

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1. Will One D&D include an SRD/be covered by an OGL?

Yes. First, we’re designing One D&D with fifth edition backwards compatibility, so all existing creator content that is compatible with fifth edition will also be compatible with One D&D. Second, we will update the SRD for One D&D as we complete its development—development that is informed by the results of playtests that we’re conducting with hundreds of thousands of D&D players now.

2. Will the OGL terms change?

Yes. We will release version 1.1 of the OGL in early 2023.

The OGL needs an update to ensure that it keeps doing what it was intended to do—allow the D&D community’s independent creators to build and play and grow the game we all love—without allowing things like third-parties to mint D&D NFTs and large businesses to exploit our intellectual property.

So, what’s changing?

First, we’re making sure that OGL 1.1 is clear about what it covers and what it doesn’t. OGL 1.1 makes clear it only covers material created for use in or as TTRPGs, and those materials are only ever permitted as printed media or static electronic files (like epubs and PDFs). Other types of content, like videos and video games, are only possible through the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy or a custom agreement with us. To clarify: Outside of printed media and static electronic files, the OGL doesn’t cover it.

Will this affect the D&D content and services players use today? It shouldn’t. The top VTT platforms already have custom agreements with Wizards to do what they do. D&D merchandise, like minis and novels, were never intended to be part of the OGL and OGL 1.1 won’t change that. Creators wishing to leverage D&D for those forms of expression will need, as they always have needed, custom agreements between us.

Second, we’re updating the OGL to offer different terms to creators who choose to make free, share-alike content and creators who want to sell their products.

What does this mean for you as a creator? If you’re making share-alike content, very little is going to change from what you’re already used to.

If you’re making commercial content, relatively little is going to change for most creators. For most of you who are selling custom content, here are the new things you’ll need to do:

1. Accept the license terms and let us know what you’re offering for sale
2. Report OGL-related revenue annually (if you make more than $50,000 in a year)
3. Include a Creator Product badge on your work

When we roll out OGL 1.1, we will also provide explanatory videos, FAQs, and a web portal for registration to make navigating these requirements as easy and intuitive as possible. We’ll also have help available to creators to navigate the new process.

For the fewer than 20 creators worldwide who make more than $750,000 in income in a year, we will add a royalty starting in 2024. So, even for the creators making significant money selling D&D supplements and games, no royalties will be due for 2023 and all revenue below $750,000 in future years will be royalty-free.

Bottom line: The OGL is not going away. You will still be able to create new D&D content, publish it anywhere, and game with your friends and followers in all the ways that make this game and community so great. The thousands of creators publishing across Kickstarter, DMsGuild, and more are a critical part of the D&D experience, and we will continue to support and encourage them to do that through One D&D and beyond.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Surveying on a large scale is a tool for getting at the zeitgeist. While you can use that to write peer-reviewed papers, you can also use that to inform design decisions.

okay but I do not have the time or money to perform such, nor do I expect anyone else here to.

Except, by definition, personal experience isn't the zeitgeist. Personal experience is anecdote, local effects, while the zeitgeist covers an entire culture (with a nod to what "culture" we are talking about).

now that is a twist... the opiniont (personal experience ancedote, local ect) is what the Zeitgeist is.
My opinion of the current defining spirit or mood of D&D (that is what Zeitgeist means) is informed as much as anyone elses (you or others) on this board. We can disagree on the opinion of the current defining spirt or mood of D&D of course, but calling out that the opinion is in fact an opinion seems to be going no where.

You can handle the zeitgeist of your three gaming stores, perhaps, but that really doesn't scale.

then you can share YOUR stories too... that is how discussions are normally... not "You can't PROVE your opinion so don't state it" it is much more natural to state our opinions if we disagree we can share any facts figures or personal experences that shape them, and even try to convince each other. However we may just BOTH be wrong or one be right... there isn't really a way to prove it in this limited D&D message board.

Your stores don't speak to the tendencies of the larger audience, are not reliably representative of gaming as a whole.

again this isn't much of an argument. My store don't. Your stores don't, other peoples stores don't... BUT they are in fact the information we have.

By my own statements, my own personal experience has little to do with zeitgeists.

sure it does... you have YOUR opinion of the defining spirit or mood of D&D and it is informed by your personal experiences.

We could, however, talk about the current designer's zeitgeist - looking at the design of games put out recently.

yeah that too could be an interesting discussion. As long as we don't need to spell out that we are all talking about our own readings and opinions on the subject. Unless we are the designer or have interviewed the designer that is (but at most that is 1 or 2 of us on the board).

edit: full definition in case anyone thinks I miss represented it
noun

1. the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
   "the story captured the zeitgeist of the late 1960s"
   
   

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   Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for.

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[Micah Sweet]

we have no 1.1 yet, so WotC can still come to their collective senses, but given where things stand now, I expect the OGL 1.1 to be a non-starter just like the GSL.

Whether people just stick with 1.0 or drop the OGL altogether, who knows. I certainly see zero incentive to use 1.1. As you wrote, there is not really any reason to, unlike back with the jump from 3.5 to 4e

I think folks are far more likely to not use 1.1 than they are to drop the OGL. Too many designers (like EN Publishing!) use the OGL as it stands to give it up.

 

[Incenjucar]

This is shaping up as a really interesting development. The thing is, at this point we have some more information, but we don't know about the incentives WotC is going to put in play to get designers both big and small to adopt to the new license.

The thing I find really interesting in sort of a "following the vibes of the community" way is how negative it's being received as. Enworld is older gamers, but it also one of the most consistently positive places to be for D&D content and WotC. I have seen a lot of people who I typically see being super positive about WotC's moves be neutral at best. I haven't really seen anyone talk about how this is a really good thing: it's been neutral and "we have to wait and see" at best. Frankly, I don't think this is being handled in the best way, and it seems to be coming from people who aren't in tune with the community. I also wonder if the people behind the decision are really 100% up to speed on the OGL: do they understand that if 1D&D is entirely backwards compatible with 5E, there is no need for anyone to actually even use the new license? I would think they'd have to be, but ... I'm certainly not seeing a reason now.

I have a ton of speculation but at this point, it's all just speculation, right? I wonder if anyone at WotC is looking at the speculation right now because the press release really doesn't seem to make things more positive for them.

I think at this point, aside from concerns about them trying to undo things, it's mostly just a raw math reaction. They have implied new costs - both monetary and informational - without a clear value in exchange for those costs. We're all still wondering what designers get in exchange for, at minimum, giving them additional market data, should they choose to adopt this. There could be a really juicy carrot, but we can only guess at it.

 

[mamba]

I think folks are far more likely to not use 1.1 than they are to drop the OGL. Too many designers (like EN Publishing!) use the OGL as it stands to give it up.

If you have a line like LevelUp I do not see you change anything, agreed. I meant this more for parties that create for D&D than that split off their own RPG from it. That ship has sailed.

I wonder if that means they release for OneD&D under 1.1, OneD&D under 1.0, OneD&D with no OGL (out of uncertainty of the status of 1.0) or stick with 5e and 1.0. Given the small differences between One D&D and 5e, the first option seems the least likely to me.

If we end up with the last option, we are back to the transition to 4e, except that it is not as clear a break since the two versions are much closer to each other. Then the real break / decision will come with the version after 1DD

 

[Nylanfs]

that is moot, we will know in a month or less, so let’s just wait for that

Have you met the Internet, rampant unfounded speculation is what we do, lol.

 

[Umbran]

Those 20 collectively form a large, very visible portion of all 3PP though. That really needs to be considered.

I consider that any license that doesn't require getting the IP holder's explicit agreement through direct negotiation on a case-by-case basis is already giving them far more consideration than they'd get just about anywhere else, so they are already ahead of the curve.

 

[mamba]

I consider that any license that doesn't require getting the IP holder's explicit agreement through direct negotiation on a case-by-case basis is already giving them far more consideration than they'd get just about anywhere else, so they are already ahead of the curve.

they are, but right now some rights you granted before are being taken away again, that usually is never received well

 

[Mistwell]

 

[Mistwell]

we have no 1.1 yet, so WotC can still come to their collective senses, but given where things stand now, I expect the OGL 1.1 to be a non-starter just like the GSL.

Whether people just stick with 1.0 or drop the OGL altogether, who knows. I certainly see zero incentive to use 1.1. As you wrote, there is not really any reason to, unlike back with the jump from 3.5 to 4e

The reason to is, I am guessing, the ability to have your material included with DnDBeyond and usable on their upcoming VTT. Which, WOTC is betting, will become the dominate method to play the game after a few years.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I mean thats 99% of us