Renegade renews Hasbro license for Transformers, GI Joe, and more; loses Vampire license to White Wolf

Renegade Game Studios has had a long-standing agreement, dating back to 2018, to produce tabletop games based on iconic non-Dungeons & Dragons IPs owned by Hasbro (which also owns Wizards of the Coast, publisher of D&D). These IPs include Transformers, GI Joe, Power Rangers, MASK, My Little Pony, JEM and the Holograms, and ROM the Spaceknight, along with a bunch of board games like Diplomacy and Axis & Allies.

This license has been renewed, with Marianne James (Hasbro Licensing) saying that games are being planned for "2027 and the years beyond".

Renegade already announced new 5.5E-powered versions of Transformers, GI Joe, and Power Rangers earlier this year, with the new editions of these games dropping their own Essence20 game engine in favour of the ruleselt which powers Dungeons & Dragons. At the time, Renegade indicated that sales of the E20 versions 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.

At the same time, White Wolf announced its plans to make a new edition of Vampire the Masquerade. White Wolf announced last year that they were building up their in-house development team, after several years of relying on Renegade as their primary licensed publisher. Both companies recently posted statements indicating that their relationship was ending, with V:tM moving back from Renegade to White Wolf. Renegade will be releasing two more books for White Wolf in October 2026--Courts of the Damned for Vampire: The Masquerade, and Tribes of Gaia for Werewolf: The Apocalypse.

White Wolf thanks Renegade for years of creativity, craft, and dedication to the World of Darkness. Noth companies are proud of what they built together, and grateful to the community whose passion carried the partnership every step of the way.

Renegade itself announced that it will be publishing the official TTRPG of the Anne Rice vampire books. Anne Rice's Immortal Universe Roleplaying Game launches later this month on BackerKit.

The game features a bespoke game system which includes damage tracks for physical, psychological and emotional damage, and a 'Flashback System' which allows players to revisit events in their characters' past. The game will initially feature a starter set, a hardcover rulebook, accessories like dice, bags, and journals, and 'campaign exclusive collectibles' available only during the BackerKit campaign.

 

[Prof_Dogg]

My understanding is that most people hated 5th edition under Renegade.

Best version of the system I've seen actually.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Putting this here too since i am not sure where the conversation actually is or maybe we merge threads...
.....


Is this a thing?

I thought White Wolf was wholly owned by Paradox... so what exactly is breaking up here? Marketing departments? Its still paradox...

I think Paradox does still own White Wolf, but they dissolved it a few years ago and chose to license it to other companies (Modiphius, Renagade). Paradox have rebranded their licence back to a newly rebuilt and reinstated White Wolf company now.

 

[TrippyHippy]

I totally agree, and will add to all that that adding small tidbits of lore on an opt-in basis through their "loresheet" system was quite clever. But, yeah, the editing was a mess (and still is, because no revised rulebook), and the departure probably too strong for a lot of people.

By Night’s Laws of the Night core rules is, to me, almost like a revised rulebook - but that is designed for LARP rather than tabletop play. That said, I’ve managed to adapt it for the tabletop.

 

[Steel Rabbit]

Edit: lol! I meant to quote post #15. I don’t know how to use these forums

This is a very good summation and reflects my feelings. I really like V5. I also want to like V6, but that alpha was a real dog’s breakfast.

 

[DerKastellan]

bespoke game system

The silliness of marketing speak strikes back with a vengeance. Unless they're tailoring a ruleset for every customer.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I can agree WoD 20A has got a lot of feeling of "I have completed the collection" but it is a "you must buy it" because it has got a lot of crunch and lore for the money you are paying.

Some players want psychological horror, but others would rather to play "trenchcoats & katanas" (action urban fantasy) and when you have to pay your bills you will publish what the customer asked you.

And storytelling is very slow for combats, and easy to be "hacked" allowing homemade versions of other titles. I don't like to buy sourcebooks that are mainly lore because this is only read once, and if you spend your money for crunch then you choose the d20 system because this is used by most.

I don't want to spend my money only to read the same lore and the update of the crunch. It is like after buying a new edition of the Sims you were awaiting the update of your favorite expansion.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy52]

My understanding is that most people hated 5th edition under Renegade.

I wouldn't say "hate," and I wouldn't say it was Renegade's fault (I would lay that blame at Paradox's feet, though things seem to be better there at this point). I think most of us who have played V5 just wanted some stability after the whole early mess, which Renegade did bring. However, it always felt like the entire Vampire franchise was always two steps out of sync with what Renegade was focusing on. Also (and perhaps I'm in a minority), I dislike that Renegade doesn't give free PDFs when you purchase a physical book (they do it on pre-orders, but not regular purchases). That's just bad business.

 

[Belen]

I wouldn't say "hate," and I wouldn't say it was Renegade's fault (I would lay that blame at Paradox's feet, though things seem to be better there at this point). I think most of us who have played V5 just wanted some stability after the whole early mess, which Renegade did bring. However, it always felt like the entire Vampire franchise was always two steps out of sync with what Renegade was focusing on. Also (and perhaps I'm in a minority), I dislike that Renegade doesn't give free PDFs when you purchase a physical book (they do it on pre-orders, but not regular purchases). That's just bad business.

Yes. The PDF think drives me nuts. At least offer a package.

 

[evildmguy]

I have had many discussions on the WoD/CoD/new lines over the decades. At one point, I asked on OnyxPath forums how people played VtM in the 90s/00s and most responded saying "night time super heroes with fangs." Okay, maybe not verbatim that but close and certainly that was the style. As someone who like the lore and did like that the lore made the game quite different than DND, it was always disappointing to play when the mechanics never backed up the lore.

Until V5.

The Hunger mechanic and the Rage mechanic finally put the monsters out there. Sadly, I have only read V5, not played, but I like that they got rid of the mana, er, blood pool as well. It's not about powers. It should never be about powers, imo. It's about what drives the character and what are they willing to risk Hunger on? It's why I'm disappointed we didn't get to see Mage and what I assume would be a Paradox mechanic. The mage has to decide if they want to risk paradox, instead of finding ways around it. Yes, both can be fun but I like it asked directly and without a mana pool.

Thanks for the discussion!

 

[GrumpyOldGuy52]

At one point, I asked on OnyxPath forums how people played VtM in the 90s/00s and most responded saying "night time super heroes with fangs."

I'm typing this as my 4K steelbook copy of the 1990s Interview with the Vampire is about to be delivered, so I'm quite biased.

However, my friends and I played VtM (and especially VtDA) a lot in the 1990s. I don't think our characters were played as superheroes, but then we were mostly English majors, had read Dracula multiple times, and were very much into Anne Rice (and we all landed on more of the Near Dark side of the Near Dark/Lost Boys divide). One of us hung out in cemeteries in her free time. Our vampires were very much focused on being tragic than heroic and how that tragic nature informed their relationships with others (it's not a huge surprise that a lot of those players went on to do VtM larping).

When I came back to VtM with V5, I'd agree there was a larger focus on the monster in the rules, but I (personally) never saw vampires being played as superheroes in the 1990s (I've no doubt it happened; I just wasn't in those circles).