Edge Studios confirms it still has the Star Wars license despite D&D's upcoming book

With this week's announcements by Dungeons & Dragons that they will be bringing us a D&D Star Wars game in 2027, many have asked what of the current official Star Wars TTRPG, currently produced by Edge Studios, having inherited the license from its sister company Fantasy Flight Games in 2020.

Wizards of the Coast--the owners of Dungeons & Dragons--had the license for Star Wars back in the early 2000s, and produced a couple of very successful Star Wars games using the d20 System, which is the engine which powered D&D 3E. In 2010, WotC declined to renew that license, and FFG announced it had picked up the license the year later. Soon followed Star Wars: Edge of Empire, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion, and Star Wars: Force and Destiny, all using the 'narrative dice system' which powered Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (also published by FFG at the time) and which later became the universal Genesys system.

In 2020, the Star Wars license moved to FFG's sister company, Edge Studios. Both companies are owned by Asmodee.

While Edge Studios continued to print and sell the existing Star Wars RPG books, in the six years they've had the license they haven't actually released any new content for it.

And this week, WotC announced that in 2027 there would be a new Dungeons & Dragons powered Star Wars game. Of course, many people immediately asked... what of Edge Studio's Star Wars RPG?

It turns out that Edge has NOT lost the license. The company announced via its Discord server:

We wanted to issue an announcement sharing this news, while also clarifying some of the finer details of the announcement to put misinformation at bay.

Here’s the basic information as announced at Gen Con 2026 from Wizards of the Coast:

With Universes Beyond, we are expanding Dungeons & Dragons into even more worlds we love, like World of Warcraft … Star Wars is coming to Dungeons & Dragons for the first time, bringing the iconic galaxy to our players’ tabletops.​

​

Dungeons & Dragons | Star Wars™ collaboration will take place in the Season of Rebellion, coming 2027.​

Here’s what also remains true:

• This collaboration is part of Dungeons & Dragons new “Universes Beyond” sets. Universe Beyond sets are new to D&D, but are a feature of Wizard’s of the Coast’s other big property Magic: The Gathering.
• Universe Beyond sets are usually single releases, although bigger successes do return. We can imagine a similar set up for D&D.
• This is not a new d20 / 5e based Tabletop RPG.
• EDGE Studios still retains the license for the Star Wars RPG line originally created by FFG.

So, Edge Studios still has the Star Wars license. Whether they intend to use it at any time in the near or distant future remains unknown, given that they haven't put out anything new for Star Wars since they inherited the license from FFG six years ago. In the meantime, it seems likely that WotC's book will be a one-and-done situation, rather than the start of a line of Star Wars/D&D products.

 

[ngenius]

Shooting down the circling rumors? That was quick by Edge Studios.

 

[bsss]

So, Edge Studios still has the Star Wars license.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I would wonder if they have a license, not the license. They didn't suggest it was exclusive.

Edit: in other words, this might be an "I am altering the deal. Pray I do not alter it any further." situation, with Edge as Lando.

 

[agrayday]

maybe i am reading this incorrectly but what does this mean, "Not New"? Is the announced star wars release a reprint of the old 2002 D20 version from Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins and J. D. Wiker?

Here’s what also remains true:

• This is not a new d20 / 5e based Tabletop RPG.

 

[Hygge Halfling]

This reads as a bit lawyerly to me. I wonder if Edge will continue to hold the RPG license in 2027? While I am not super excited about a one-off 5.5e mod, 6 years is a long time to just sit on a property with a lot of concurrent media projects.

 

[TrainedMunkee]

So Edge has it's inherited SW license for how long and done nothing with it?

Rumor has it that Edge did a Mando book and Disney told them nope you can't publish it yet, just wait.

Wizards comes along and gets a green light on publishing SW material.

Hmm, in the States we call that the hot girl blow off. They don't want to say nope and hurt your feelings.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If they are retaining the license after the D&D book comes out, I suspect Edge will be feeling a lot of pressure to publish something for their line.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

maybe i am reading this incorrectly but what does this mean, "Not New"? Is the announced star wars release a reprint of the old 2002 D20 version from Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins and J. D. Wiker?

I think it means it isn't a standalone game built around the 5e version of the d20 engine. it's Star Wars setting details and player options for core D&D.

 

[Nobleshield]

I think it means it isn't a standalone game built around the 5e version of the d20 engine. it's Star Wars setting details and player options for core D&D.

That somehow sounds terrible. SW d20 worked because it WASN'T just D&D Star Wars, it was a unique game that followed the d20 system but had its own classes and stuff; the D&D classes have little or no relation whatsoever to Star Wars.

 

[MacDhomnuill]

I see this as a return to WOTCs origins, they have come full circle back to the D20 IP of the week rule book spam of the 90s. Glad edge gets to keep their licence.