WotC Ex D&D Beyond Staffers Criticize Relationship With WotC

Ex D&D Beyond Product Manager Andrew Searls and co-founder Adam Bradford have both publicly denounced a detetoriation in the platform's relationship with Wizards of the Coast.

Searles, who left DDB in December tweeted publicly, seemingly in support of the OGC community, following the recent Open Gaming License news, that "IMHO, D&D is successul because of the entire community not just because of those that legally own it."

The OGL -- Just What's Going On?

D&D fandom is in uproar again about purported upcoming changes to the Open Gaming License, and rumours are flooding social media regarding WotC's intentions to 'de-authorize' the existing Open Gaming License in favour of a new one. What's the OGL? The Open Gaming License is a share-a-like...

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Speaking of his departure, he said "December 16th of 2022 was my last day at Wizards of the Coast and working on D&D Beyond. This was a change for the better. It is hard to describe the feeling of working your dream job and being crushed by it at the same time. But, it is bittersweet. I will miss the people I have worked with day-in and day-out. Despite what it may seem like at times there are really good people at Wizard of the Coast that are working on D&D and D&D Beyond that love the game and the community. For my next adventure, all I can say now is that I’m more excited than I’ve ever been and I’ve wanted to work with these folks for a LONG time. One thing I know for certain, for the rest of my career, I will use technology to make ALL tabletop roleplaying games easier to play. I love this industry and I love these games."

He later went on to comment on WotC itself -- "Quick story. When DDB was first acquired by WotC, I had a conversation with someone on the WotC side. They told me that DDB was only successful because of the D&D logo and not the work we had put into it for 5 years. It’s a culture of arrogance."

He also revealed that many of WotC's staff are against the current OGL situation. In reponse to a tweet which suggested that, Searles responded "I know must of them and I can tell you everything in this statement is true."

D&D Beyond co-founder Adam Bradford, who now works for the Demiplane online tools suite, responded "This was starkly evident well before the acquisition. In the early days of the partnership, things went about as well as you could imagine, and something truly special was created as a result of that. Some top level leadership changes later, and it all took an abrupt nosedive."

D&D 5E - Hasbro Acquires D&D Beyond For $146M

D&D owner WotC and D&D Beyond have announced that the online tools platform is being acquired by WotC. DDB’s (former) owner was Fandom, which acquired it in 2018, and which also acquired the Cortex Prime TTRPG system recently. Fandom is producing a range of licensed games using the Cortex Prime...

www.enworld.org

D&D Beyond was launched in 2017, and was acquired by WotC in 2022 for $146M. Bradford left DDB in February 2021, along with various other staff including lead writer James Haeck, Community Manager Lauren Urban, and Creative Manager and co-founder Todd Kenrick (who now works for WotC).

D&D General - Adam Bradford, Lauren Urban, Todd Kenrick Leave D&D Beyond

They join lead writer James Haeck, who left a couple of weeks ago. Adam Bradford is the D&D Beyond co-founder, and VP of Tabletop Gaming at its owner, Fandom. Lauren Urban is DDB's Community Manager. Todd Kenrick is the company's Creative Manager. D&D Beyond, launched in 2017, is currently...

www.enworld.org

 

[overgeeked]

Is G&S Geek & Sundry?

That’s my assumption. That’s Eric from Eric’s TBD RPG.

 

[Haplo781]

Wow. That’s not something you say out loud, to a person’s face, even if it were true.

But, terrible as it is, if Beyond was the digital character builder and encyclopedia for say…Fate…no one would know who they were or what they did. It’s that they worked on D&D that got them the spotlight. They also did great work, as others have said. Without both, they got nothing.

This is true. It's also true that if the D&D logo were the only requirement for success, WotC wouldn't have paid $146 million for DDB, and we'd all be playing 4e right now.

 

[jeffh]

I really feel this is the last days of this brand as it gets squeezed for all the money they can then maybe sold off like an old used car they don't want to fix.

I don't see the D&D brand being sold off unless Hasbro itself outright dies (which, granted, feels possible in a way it didn't a couple months ago - not likely, but possible). Hasbro would rather sit on the IP for a decade or two then bring it back as, I don't know, a line of action figures or something. That's been their business model for as long as anyone here has been alive. I once joked that if they'd been around in 600 BC they would still own the Illiad.

A game recognizably derived from D&D would probably arise (if it hasn't already, in the sense that this would probably push even more people to Pathfinder), but I don't see the brand escaping Hasbro's clutches so easily.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

This is true. It's also true that if the D&D logo were the only requirement for success, WotC wouldn't have paid $146 million for DDB, and we'd all be playing 4e right now.

Precisely.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So the US government can't come after him -- I don't think anyone was worried about that. Opinions are not protected from actions/reactions from private individuals and private companies, especially if they have signed some sort of NDA or non-disparage clause.

There's no evidence of such happening, though.

I'm not happy about what's happening either, but the catastrophizing on this board is through the roof.

Everyone doesn't have to jump to the worst case scenario on every possible item.

 

[jmhimara]

This is true. It's also true that if the D&D logo were the only requirement for success, WotC wouldn't have paid $146 million for DDB, and we'd all be playing 4e right now.

Yeah. I can't say I have statistics on the matter, but I think it's safe to say that there's a significant amount of people that would not be playing 5E at all if it wasn't for DDB. Half of my gaming group, for example.

Also, how many times has WoTC has attempted to create similar tools and failed?

 

[Hussar]

Also, how many times has WoTC has attempted to create similar tools and failed?

Once?

 

[agrayday]

you could do a quick score sheet of successes and wins along with support and abandonment both in products and staff careers of the life of D&D and it should tell you something. To me it tells me its a rough train ride where most things are treated and invested in, as momentary.

 

[Reynard]

Once?

Twice, I think? Wasn't there a similar attempt in the Gleemax era, then whatever they did during 4E?

 

[coyote6]

Twice, I think? Wasn't there a similar attempt in the Gleemax era, then whatever they did during 4E?

The original 3e PHB came with a CD-ROM with character generator software on it, and a promise for updates later.

It was never updated.