D&D General Penguin Random House To Stop Distributing D&D [UPDATED!]

A memo which went out to retailers this week indicates that Penguin Random House will not be distributing Dungeons & Dragons products in mainstream bookstores from 2024.

Effective December 31, 2023, Penguin Random House LLC will cease distributing titles for Wizards of the Coast LLC. Depending on the product, please ensure that the vendor of record for Wizards of the Coast LLC titles is changed to one of their new distributors listed here: Distributors | WPN."

WotC uses a range of distributors, including Alliance, Diamond, GTS, and more in the US, and Asmodee and others in the UK and Europe. Most of these deal with hobby trade (game stores and the like) retailers, while Penguin Random House is a general book trade publisher. Of course, the game will still be available on Amazon, also.

This isn't brand new news--WotC announced this back at the beginning of September.

UPDATE--WotC spoke to ICv2:

Penguin Random House is a valued partner and publishing licensee of Wizards of the Coast. While we deeply appreciate the excellent service provided over the years by PRHPS, we are now shifting our distribution strategy to utilize the capabilities of Hasbro to sell and distribute D&D products to retailers, and we will continue to partner with PRH on licensed D&D titles like the recently released Lore & Legends and the upcoming Hero's Feast: Flavors of the Multiverse. This change to distribution of Wizards' D&D roleplaying game publications such as rulebooks and adventure content won't affect fans as they will continue to find Dungeons & Dragonsproducts at their preferred retailers.

 

[John Lloyd1]

It mostly hits bookstore distribution.

But more importantly, it affects international bookstore distribution, relegating D&D books to hobby shops/gaming stores in the rest of the world.

I haven't seen D&D books in bookshops or anywhere except game stores in Australia anyway. I suggested my local library buy some D&D books, but they couldn't through their channels.

 

[Scribe]

I haven't seen D&D books in bookshops or anywhere except game stores in Australia anyway. I suggested my local library buy some D&D books, but they couldn't through their channels.

They are in Canada.

I'll be checking if Planescape is out early as usual today.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Can confirm that D&D books are on local bookseller's shelves. Assuming they don't (and probably won't after Jan 1) order via Diamond/Alliance/et al.

What about PSI? That's a distributor that a lot of non-FLGS's order from. Oh interesting, PSI is not on the list either. They are all hobby distributors...

I wonder if WotC wants to go direct with booksellers? But that's not going to fly if they aren't on Pubnet or Biblio. Which is exactly the kind of value-add service working with Penguin/RH adds.

I think WotC is going to lose money here. And mindshare, if not marketshare.

 

[Stormonu]

I tried going to the distributor link in the original announcement (Dungeons & Dragons Titles Available Through Wizards of the Coast Distributors | WPN), but it seems to be a dead link. <edit> Never mind, appears I typed it wrong the first time around...

Isn't WPN "Wizard's Play Network"? Did WotC make some change to its distribution program that left a bad taste in Penguin Random House's mouth?

 

[SkidAce]

I think Penwuin was supplying most of our D&D books for Barnes and Noble, will confirm when I go back in tomorrow.

 

[teitan]

This is a massive hit in sales, most of the sales for 5e were bookstores and Amazon.

 

[Parmandur]

This is a massive hit in sales, most of the sales for 5e were bookstores and Amazon.

Potentially, depends on what alternatives WotC has lined up.

 

[teitan]

Potentially, depends on what alternatives WotC has lined up.

Are there any outside the hobby chains?

 

[Parmandur]

Are there any outside the hobby chains?

Amazon, at least. Theybare their own distributor, that's how they undercut the wholesale.price FLGS pay.

 

[charlesatan]

What about PSI? That's a distributor that a lot of non-FLGS's order from. Oh interesting, PSI is not on the list either. They are all hobby distributors...

On PSI's website, it doesn't seem that they're distributing D&D (they do distribute other adjacent books though such as Warhammer, Doctor Who, Numenera, etc.).

Did WotC make some change to its distribution program that left a bad taste in Penguin Random House's mouth?

The speculation mentioned by darjr is that Penguin Random House distributes to Amazon + bookstores, and Wizards of the Coast wanted to be in charge of Amazon, so Penguin Random House was not interested in distributing just a smaller piece of the pie.

I think Penwuin was supplying most of our D&D books for Barnes and Noble, will confirm when I go back in tomorrow.

Supposedly Penguin Random House is not the distributor to Walmart and Target (that's a separate distributor). Would be interested to know though whether they supply B&N.

Potentially, depends on what alternatives WotC has lined up.

The issue here is that WotC already knew this months ahead of time, and they've had ample time to find a replacement. Ideally when Penguin Random House send their notice, WotC should have already had a replacement in their own press release (or should mention one immediately) if they've already arranged for someone to take over.

Or maybe they're just going to eschew bookstores entirely.

Having said that, the WPN link is just for hobby stores, and does not list of all of WotC's distributors.

But definitely Penguin Random House was in charge of distributing to bookstores.