You could certainly argue that it was catty and passive aggressive, but I don't think you could argue that anything they said was wrong or even a new criticism beyond what many others have already noted.
Passive-aggressiveness aside, I would have been more inclined to accept the "review" if the DMG had been propped up with false advertising, but WotC was very clear through multiple videos as to what it was: a guide for newer DMs primarily. Yet the author knowingly bashes a beginner friendly book for being a beginner friendly book to prop their own product? Yeah, that's the smell of desperation.
According to the article, the Midgard world information is contained in a separate book, not in their DMG (with a convenient link to buy it for just $50). Which I'm sure is an approach that WotC could've followed without anyone accusing them of spreading out content in order to milk more money out consumers... sometimes you're damned if you do, damned if you don't
you have no evidence either way, so that is just you speculating, for what it’s worth the Kobolds seem to be happy with their sales numbers (without revealing them)
they point out that it is a beginner friendly book, and good at it, but that theirs offers more for the experienced DM
if the $50 for the WotC book gave me the 32 pages from the DMG, I’d say that is completely justified
And I think we can be almost guaranteed that 99% of the missing 2014 subclasses (not you, twilight cleric) will be reappearing in 2026 and 2027. And I wouldn't count on Monsters of the Multiverse not getting stripped for parts, either.
Yes, it's me speculating based on experience with how small companies start to act when they are sensing things are not going to plan. Of course I could be wrong, but that's why I said baring evidence to the contrary it's my guess.
While I unfortunately cannot disagree with your overall assessment, my understanding is that she did write an article, bit what was published was edited significantly enough for her to find it personally embarrassing.
