D&D 5E D&D Up 35% In 2020 While Virtual Play Rises 86%

In this article from the Los Angeles Times, WotC's Liz Schuh shared a couple of interesting statistics: D&D revenues increased 35% in 2020 over 2019; and online play is up 86% (for obvious reasons).

Turning to Dungeons & Dragons to escape a real-life monster — COVID-19

With little else to do, the COVID-19 pandemic has given D&D players a reason to gather virtually to go on heroic quests in the increasingly popular role-playing game.

www.latimes.com

The LA Times published a similar article a couple of months ago. See my big list of articles about D&D in the meanstream!

 

[Dausuul]

Agreed, but I think it will be more an updated / replacement PHB/DMG not a second version

Yep. I think (wishfully perhaps) that we are fairly close to that point; Tasha's felt like a trial run for a bunch of tweaks to the core of the game. Not this year, certainly, but I could see a revised 5E (effectively a 5.5E) coming out next year.

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

What I'm most curious about will be the long term impact. For example, until this last year I have heavily resisted online gaming, I was like "I will never game online, only in person".

COVID forced my hand, and though I still prefer in person gaming a good amount, remote gaming was not nearly as bad as I had feared. So I am now in a bi-weekly game remote, and will be for the foreseeable future.

I unfortunately lost some players when the pandemic hit. They tried to power through it for a few weeks, but it quickly became clear to them that it just wasn't the same experience. The in-person social interaction was crucial to them, so it became a matter of it just not being worth it. I'm not sure if they'll change their mind anytime soon now that it looks like we're still going to be remote for at least the majority of this year.

 

[Helldritch]

Agreed, but I think it will be more an updated / replacement PHB/DMG not a second version

That, or it will be close to the PHB2 and DMG2 that we've had in 4ed. Ot would be a great way to put all errata and subclasses in one book.

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

Yep. I think (wishfully perhaps) that we are fairly close to that point; Tasha's felt like a trial run for a bunch of tweaks to the core of the game. Not this year, certainly, but I could see a revised 5E (effectively a 5.5E) coming out next year.

I don't even see them doing that. They've been very vocal on their concerns that "required" updates to the core rules splinters the fan base and puts a sort of pressure on people to have to buy books over again. The revised ranger died because they were adamant that they would never sunset an established rule or game mechanic and replace it with something updated since that would "force" people to buy new material: changes have to be additive or labeled as optional.

I think the best we'll see in the vein of what you're talking about is some sort of special PHB + Xanathar's + Tasha's compilation book that just meshes them all into a single unit (but undoubtedly still emphasizes that all the new stuff is optional).

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

Yeah. VTT has been a game changer for me. I doubt I will return to face to face gaming on a regular basis. The odd convention game or the annual weekend of gaming with the old friends. Otherwise you can't beat the convenience of VTT, being able to play with people not in my immediate area, the ability to play shorter sessions on weeknights with family in the next room, etc.

I'm torn on this. On the one hand, I miss the in-person social aspect of things that will never be replicated in a remote session, and I miss making use of the minis and terrain I spent so much money on. On the other hand, two very remote players (one across the country and the other on another continent) in one of my groups -- not to mention a new player who lives pretty close but just happened to not be in the same group -- have been great and helped make some truly memorable game experiences... and the ease with which I can put together maps and create tokens out of pretty much any image I can find on the Internet has been amazing. Not fretting over which mini to use to represent something for which there's no mini has been liberating. LOL

 

[dave2008]

Yep. I think (wishfully perhaps) that we are fairly close to that point; Tasha's felt like a trial run for a bunch of tweaks to the core of the game. Not this year, certainly, but I could see a revised 5E (effectively a 5.5E) coming out next year.

Probably not next year, I think the 2024 anniversary is more likely

 

[see]

I think we all expect something in 2024, but what remains to be seen.

A "50th Anniversary Edition" with a level of revisions closer to a "5.1" than a "5.5" is what I'd personally expect.

The opportunity would be used to introduce "breaking" changes in existing classes, but the result would be fundamentally compatible on the level that DMs could use monsters and adventures interchangeably between the new edition and 5e without conversion.

And then they'd just keep supporting the new edition the same way they've supported 5th.

 

[Horwath]

Probably not next year, I think the 2024 anniversary is more likely

yeah,

5.5E for 50th anniversary in 2024,
6E for 60th anniversary in 2034.

probably late 2024 to get some: "deluxe PHB+DMG+DMscreen+MM" Xmas bundle / holyday special offers for gifts.

 

[John R Davis]

50th anniv version of 5.X would be good for me.

 

[embee]

yeah,

5.5E for 50th anniversary in 2024,
6E for 60th anniversary in 2034.

probably late 2024 to get some: "deluxe PHB+DMG+DMscreen+MM" Xmas bundle / holyday special offers for gifts.

AKA - the Samsung naming convention