Renegade announces new editions of Transformers, GI Joe, and Power Rangers RPGs, using D&D 5.5E instead of Essence20

Renegade is ending support for its Essence20 game system, in favor of Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E. Today, Renegade announced it was planning on publishing new editions of its Transformers, GI Joe, and Power Rangers RPG systems. However, the new editions will not use the bespoke Essence20 game system created by Renegade. Instead, the new editions will use a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E. Renegade will also release Essence20 to 5.5E conversion guides for free on their website at a later date. Update: Renegade said on their Discord that they were ending support for E20 releases because sales were insufficient to continue with the system.

Renegade will release a BackerKit crowdfunding campaign for the new games, with Transformers and GI Joe running first and a Power Rangers BackerKit coming at a later time.

The Essence20 line seems to have been popular for Renegade, as they've been publishing content for all three licensed properties (as well as My Little Pony) since 2022. All three properties are licensed by Hasbro, which of course also owns Wizards of the Coast, the maker of Dungeons & Dragons. One could speculate that Hasbro could have pushed for a change to their big games system, but one could also argue that Renegade is looking to expand their playerbase by switching from a bespoke game system to a system with a massive existing playerbase.

 

[bedir than]

Being able to keep more of the profits for themselves? They probably now have to pay licence fees for both D&D 5.5 AND the IPs, whereas when they used their own system, they got to keep more of the money.

5.5 is in the Creative Commons. A competent org doesn't need to pay for a license.

 

[DJThunderGod]

5.5 is in the Creative Commons. A competent org doesn't need to pay for a license.

That leaves us two options - Renegade aren't that competent (unlikely since they've got the World Of Darkness licences, too, and seem to be doing OK with them) or it's just cheaper to use DnD 5.5. Hasbro may even be giving them a financial incentive to do so - use their system and the licence fee goes down.

 

[Azzy]

That leaves us two options - Renegade aren't that competent (unlikely since they've got the World Of Darkness licences, too, and seem to be doing OK with them) or it's just cheaper to use DnD 5.5. Hasbro may even be giving them a financial incentive to do so - use their system and the licence fee goes down.

I think it's something more prosaic. D&D is the most popular RPG, so the choice to use its base system is casting the widest net.

 

[mamba]

Being able to keep more of the profits for themselves? They probably now have to pay licence fees for both D&D 5.5 AND the IPs, whereas when they used their own system, they got to keep more of the money.

there is an SRD which is under CC, they will not pay anything for basing the game on 5e

 

[Belen]

there is an SRD which is under CC, they will not pay anything for basing the game on 5e

They are paying Hasbro for the Transformers and GI Joe IP license. Hasbro could easily force them to switch to 5.5.

Honestly, I bet Hasbro wants to add both IPs to DDB so they probably did tell them to switch.

 

[mamba]

They are paying Hasbro for the Transformers and GI Joe IP license.

sure, they are paying for the license for the IP, but the notion that they are also paying for a 5e license to base their game on is nonsense given that there is a free SRD.

Hasbro could easily force them to switch to 5.5.

Honestly, I bet Hasbro wants to add both IPs to DDB so they probably did tell them to switch.

I very much doubt that, for one they did not do so a few years ago when the license was being negotiated, for another the reason given is a different one (lack of sales at a sustainable level). Until / unless you have something to back this up, I see no reason to believe that this is the case

 

[Belen]

sure, they are paying for the license for the IP, but the notion that they are also paying for a 5e license to base their game on is nonsense given that there is a free SRD.


I very much doubt that, for one they did not do so a few years ago when the license was being negotiated, for another the reason given is a different one (lack of sales at a sustainable level). Until / unless you have something to back this up, I see no reason to believe that this is the case

I did not say they were paying a license for 5.5.

As for the rest, Hasbro is clearly expanding DDB. They already had plans to add both GI Joe and Transformers to Sigil. They will want them for DDB. They need it in 5.5, not essence to make that happen.

I think that is the clear motive for the change. Sales will probably improve too, especially once it is on DDB.

 

[chuckdee]

Wouldn't that be paying a license to themselves? Wizards and Hasbro are one and the same, right?

 

[Belen]

Wouldn't that be paying a license to themselves? Wizards and Hasbro are one and the same, right?

Renegade is not Hasbro although they obviously have close ties.

 

[Dire Bare]

As for the rest, Hasbro is clearly expanding DDB. They already had plans to add both GI Joe and Transformers to Sigil. They will want them for DDB. They need it in 5.5, not essence to make that happen.

They did? I don't remember any news about WotC adding Renegade's Essence 20 games to the Sigil VTT.