WotC D&D's Christopher Perkins Promoted to Creative Director

On Twitter WotC's Christopher Perkins clarified queries about his new role after it was revealed that the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide would be his last book as Product Lead--he is now D&D's Creative Director, which looks like a broader, more overview-type job. Creative Director was the role that Mike Mearls held until 2018 before moving over the Magic: The Gathering, and George Krstic held a similarly named role until August this year.

Not true. I was a Game Design Architect. Now I’m the Creative Director, which is a more “behind the scenes” gig that lets me play quietly in a bunch of different sandboxes. #wotcstaff

 

[Yaarel]

My hope is Wyatt, he is the only one that has worked on the game as long, longer even, than Chris and he's definitely got the chops for it and to do it very, very well.

It occurs to me, the videos interviewing Wyatt might be preparing him to become a public face for WotC when becoming the next Design Architect.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Good for him.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

My impression is that the reason Larian isn't making BG4 is that they have more fun working on Divinity games. I don't think there's anything WotC could do to change that.

I don't think that's true.

The staff who worked on BG3, easily 50%+ of them had never worked on a Divinity game because they were new to the company, hired post DOS2. Another 20%+ had only worked on DOS2, and AFTER it was released (i.e. on the Definitive Edition - which was a big deal - they re-wrote most/all of the dialogue in the game among other things). Might be even higher. Certainly isn't lower.

Look at the credits on BG3, compare them to DOS2 and earlier games. Huge change in names. Even most of the senior people had never worked on a Divinity game.

Also, they're not working on DOS3. That's one of the few things they've actually confirmed, so the idea that they've not making BG4 because they wanted to make DOS3 is plainly and inarguably wrong. So with this idea shown to be false, we have to look at the actual timing of the decision, and it was directly after WotC did fired everyone involved with Larian, and Larian's CEO publicly and harshly criticised WotC for this.

Further we now have confirmation that literally up until that point, they were in fact working on BG4! You may not be aware of that because the information came out later, the initial story from Swen Vincke was that they'd been sort of milling around and deciding what to do, then had decided against BG4. He later clarified that this wasn't the case - they were working on BG4 full-time right up until they decided to not do BG4.

I think the real explanation is probably fairly simple and two-part:

1) BG3 was a huge 6-year project which took incredible effort, went through a horrible, horrible pandemic, and likely involved a huge amount of overtime (even if not technically crunch), and people were probably somewhat "over" the setting and characters by then (and note, BG3 was and is still kind of unfinished - Act 3 is a shadow of Act 1, and Act 2 is very competent but extremely short). So the prospect of spending another 3+ years making a BG4 was probably pretty daunting for a lot of the team. But this absolutely wasn't some "love of Divinity" thing for anyone except maybe Swen (who is an wild man who thinks DOS2 had a better setting and better combat gameplay than BG3, both of which are bizarre beliefs). Again, they are confirmed as not working on DOS3.

2) They might have been wavering because of the $$$$$$$$$$$ factor, but when WotC also decided to fire everyone involved with working with Larian, that may well have pushed them over the edge. The idea that it's a non-factor is laughable given the timing though.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

In history of wotc/tsr who else has held this title or its equivalent?

I believe Mearls held a similar title for a while.

Historically, Creative Director at games studios, whether tabletop or videogame tends to be either be because that person is an absolute creative powerhouse, who cannot be contained to merely one game, or to be a bit of a sinecure/non-job, if the person is not. Perkins definitely is not a creative powerhouse. So...

So I see a lot of people who think this is a good thing - and maybe it is in a sense? But if anyone things Perkins is going to have some big influence on D&D from this role, well, frankly, I doubt it. I very much doubt it. I also doubt he'll be in this role, or that this role will exist, for more than 3-5 years at the absolute outside. I'd be unsurprised if it was less. This is to be a me a sort of pre-retirement sinecure for a man who has been a part of making D&D successful again (albeit I would suggest a smaller part than Mearls or Crawford).

We shall see of course, but I think it's mostly about clearing the way for someone else to be in charge of that part of D&D Perkins was dealing with.

 

[bedir than]

but when WotC also decided to fire everyone involved with working with Larian,

That isn't true.

 

[Parmandur]

That isn't true.

What, let facts get in the way? Nah.

 

[teitan]

Lower print quality for the floppies thwn the old TSR stuff, though I enjoy them, and printed in China.

I am talking about what WotC would do if they printed similar books to TSR printed in the US, and just charged the inflation adjusted rate.

I get that. I’m just saying WOtC could easily be doing the floppies and keep them affordable and they would sell.

 

[teitan]

I believe Mearls held a similar title for a while.

Historically, Creative Director at games studios, whether tabletop or videogame tends to be either be because that person is an absolute creative powerhouse, who cannot be contained to merely one game, or to be a bit of a sinecure/non-job, if the person is not. Perkins definitely is not a creative powerhouse.

the what you say??? He’s one of the most prolific in D&D. He’s been there since it was TSR creating and guided the 5e, extremely successfully, adventure seasons and drafted their stories and ideas like an excellent showrunner for television. As much as Mike and Jeremy, Chris is a core reason, creatively, that 5e is the juggernaut it is.

 

[Parmandur]

I get that. I’m just saying WOtC could easily be doing the floppies and keep them affordable and they would sell.

Would they sell? WotC used to print and sell them, so I guess they would have the data on that. From everything I have seen, the 5E compilations have sold better than older individual modules...

 

[Ruin Explorer]

the what you say??? He’s one of the most prolific in D&D. He’s been there since it was TSR creating and guided the 5e, extremely successfully, adventure seasons and drafted their stories and ideas like an excellent showrunner for television. As much as Mike and Jeremy, Chris is a core reason, creatively, that 5e is the juggernaut it is.

Prolific and creative aren't really the same thing - they can overlap but they don't necessarily have to. I don't see much evidence that Perkins is particularly hugely creative force. You can see that also in his pre-5E career, and in his own writing about DMing and so on. I can't think of anything he's done that was really original or surprising or cool, and I don't see him brimming with good ideas.

He's not a good showrunner given how mediocre 5E's adventures and campaigns have been overall.

If anything he looks like a classic example of a guy who has been overpromoted due simply to seniority and being easy to get along with, as well as not being profoundly incompetent. Practically every company has people like this.