D&D General Dan Rawson Named New Head Of D&D

Hasbro has announced a former Microsoft digital commerce is the new senior vice president in charge of Dungeons & Dragons. Dan Rawson was the COO of Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Hasbro also hired Cynthia Williams earlier this year; she too, came from Microsoft. Of Rawson, she said "We couldn’t be bringing on Dan at a better time. With the acquisition of D&D Beyond earlier this year, the digital capabilities and opportunities for Dungeons & Dragons are accelerating faster than ever. I am excited to partner with Dan to explore the global potential of the brand while maintaining Hasbro’s core value as a player-first company.”

Rawson himself says that "Leading D&D is the realization of a childhood dream. I’m excited to work with Cynthia once again, and I’m thrilled to work with a talented team to expand the global reach of D&D, a game I grew up with and now play with my own kids.”

Interestingly, Ray Wininger -- who has been running D&D for the last couple of years -- has removed mention of WotC and Hasbro from his Twitter bio.

 

[DarkCrisis]

You could play Essentials without once cracking open the 2009 4e core. You didn't have to, by any means, and it was compatible, but you absolutely could. That makes it more than just a supplement to my mind.

That sounds a lot like 3.5. Or in this case 4.5

 

[darjr]

I haven’t heard anything.

I’m a Ray Winninger fan. I think he’s awesome for D&D.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yes and? You were playing with the same rules... new classes. I'm not getting your point. Is a new printing with changes and corrections a new edition?

No, because its the same book, with the same information. Essentials was a new book, with new information, using the same rules.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That sounds a lot like 3.5. Or in this case 4.5

Yes, which is why 3.0 to 3.5 was a functional edition change, no matter what they said.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Well this doesn't bode very well.

Winninger was an actual game designer with some real credits under his belt, some real risks taken.

Dan Rawson is living definition of a "suit" (just check out his LinkedIn). I am extremely skeptical he's even played D&D significantly, let alone understands D&D, despite his vague claim. I am somewhat surprised he's as close as a 3rd degree connection to me, I bet I know who via though lol.

 

[overgeeked]

I haven’t heard anything.

I’m a Ray Winninger fan. I think he’s awesome for D&D.

Same. It was great having someone who played and designed games in charge. I don’t agree with everything they did during his tenure, but at least there was a game designer in charge. He clearly knew what he was doing. And yet…this.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

So the new WotC president from back in February just fired Ray Winninger to put her friend and former coworker in his job. Am I reading that right? Any word from Ray yet on all this?

Techniquely no, this is a new higher position from what I read, Ray was never a Vice President.

"In 2020, Winninger became the Executive Producer in charge of the Dungeons & Dragons studio at Wizards of the Coast replacing Mike Mearls, the previous Dungeons & Dragons design team head."

So Ray was more the highest creative position, the one previously held by Mike Mearls, D&D never rated it's own Vice President until now, an indication of it's growing status as a billion dollar brand to be.

Senior Vice President of D&D clearly out ranks Executive Producer of D&D, Ray would have to answer to Dan Rawson as would any other high level folks on the D&D team, like marketing and others which I don't think answered to Ray.

The question is why does D&D require a Senior Vice President of it's own? What will he do with the position?

And if Ray is gone who will be the new Executive Producer for D&D?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Same. It was great having someone who played and designed games in charge. I don’t agree with everything they did during his tenure, but at least there was a game designer in charge. He clearly knew what he was doing. And yet…this.

I'm seriously having huge difficulty imagining Rawson speaking to fans/customers at all about D&D and its future in any meaningful way, whereas Winninger was able to do quite eloquently and frankly interestingly. I doubt we'll see any discussion of upcoming settings or the like from Rawson, because I very much doubt he even understands why we care (though I'm sure he understands if they make money or not). And even if he has played the game, that's not at all the same thing as having been a game designer.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Yes, which is why 3.0 to 3.5 was a functional edition change, no matter what they said.

I can see a middle ground (a .5 if you will) depending on the depth/amount of changes. While I cant speak for 4th ed, 3.5 came off TO ME as a .5. It was mostly the same with some character and feat updates etc but mostly the same (You still HAD to have the new books for the updated classes etc, so yeah).

One D&D seems to be changing a lot more than 3/3.5 did. From classes to monsters to changes races to something almost completely different to how feats work to how crits work changes to how skills roll out etc etc etc.

Just the little we've seen is a lot bigger changes and definitely a "6th ed" despite people wanting very badly for it not to be. I sued to think this would be another .5 amount of changes but nope. Which explains WotC's line of "It's One D&D, now and forever!" Whatever helps the purchasers sleep better at night.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

The question is why does D&D require a Senior Vice President of it's own?

Because it's making more money than any other part of WotC, and WotC's making more money than other parts of Hasbro.

So we "need" a pure money-man in charge instead of some kind of filthy hippy creative (even though Winninger had some pretty serious corporate experience).

What will he do with the position?

Nothing that we'll actually hear about or have communicated to us in any way, shape, or form.

And if Ray is gone who will be the new Executive Producer for D&D?

Probably nobody or Jeremy Crawford.

I'm honestly on team nobody here.