Rumours: WotC Announcement Today; Insider Email Reveals Plans

There's a couple of rumours going round today. I cannot verify either, but I'm reporting them as most of the recent OGL rumours have proven true.

First -- it is rumoured that today at 3pm ET Wizards of the Coast will make some kind of video statement about the current Open Game License situation. This rumour came from the folks at Roll For Combat who were the first to break the draft OGL scoop.

[[UPDATE -- This didn't happen!]]

Second -- an email has been circulating from an anonymous WotC insider. Again, I must reiterate I cannot myself verify this, so read this with that in mind, but the email says:

Hi,

I'm an employee at WotC currently working on D&Dbeyond (DDB) and with D&D business leaders on the health of the product line. If you want I can provide proof of this.

I'm sending this message because I fear for the health of a community I love, and I know what the leaders at WOTC are looking at:

-They are briefly delaying rollout of OGL changes due to the backlash.
-Their decision making is based entirely on the provable impact to their bottom line.
-Specifically they are looking at DDB subscriptions and cancellations as it is the quickest financial data they currently have.
-They are still hoping the community forgets, moves on, and they can still push this through.

I have decided to reach out because at my time in WotC I have never once heard management refer to customers in a positive manner, their communication gives me the impression they see customers as obstacles between them and their money, the DDB team was first told to prepare to support the new OGL changes and online portal when they got back from the holidays, and leadership doesn't take any responsibility for the pain and stress they cause others. Leadership's first communication to the rank and file on the OGL was 30 minutes on 1/11/23, This was the first time they even tried to communicate their intentions about the OGL to employees, and even in this meeting they blamed the community for over-reacting.

I will repeat, the main thing this leadership is looking at is DDB subscription cancellations.

Hope your day goes well,

P.S. I will be copying and pasting this message to other community leaders.

If both rumours are true, I guess at 3pm ET today we'll find that out.

 

[Ibrandul]

Really? I’m already dreading having to inform my regulars that I’m not going to be buying D&D any more. This move will definitely end play groups, and presumably some friendships.

I’m not buying D&D anymore. But I’ll still be playing it for the foreseeable future.

(My spouse is not at all unhappy with this development.)

 

[Charlaquin]

I’m not buying D&D anymore. But I’ll still be playing it for the foreseeable future.

(My spouse is not at all unhappy with this development.)

Ok?

 

[Reynard]

There's no huge split here. There are a few people who really don't want to give up on liking WotC/D&D, and some people who are certain nothing bad will happen, but even those people tend to agree if this does go through as written, it'll be very bad.

There will be a split between those that drop D&D in protest and those that don't. How big it will be is impossible to tell.

 

[Burt Baccara]

They are hoping if they wait long enough the outrage will die down.

 

[Composer99]

Was the rumor about the announcement today even a leak? There are so many pages of discussion that I'm losing track. Certainly Morrus' announcement OP doesn't say leak - did Roll for Combat say anything?

 

[Scribe]

They are hoping if they wait long enough the outrage will die down.

I'll take it upon myself to rabble rouse then.

 

[Ibrandul]

Ok?

Just saying it’s valid to decide not to play it anymore—or to decide not to spend any more money on it, but keep playing. Presumably the latter course doesn’t break up groups and friendships? (And then adding a gag about reduced spending on 5e stuff I mostly haven’t been using anyway.)

 

[Quarzis]

I’m not buying D&D anymore. But I’ll still be playing it for the foreseeable future.

(My spouse is not at all unhappy with this development.)

Lol - same here! I explained what was going on and that I wouldn't be buying any more D&D books or licensed minis, and I could see the joy bursting from her.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

This is an egregiously bad take.

Mod Note:

Everyone: Throwaway comments like this do nothing to help the conversation. If you’re going to criticize someone’s position, DO SO.

This is simply insulting, not criticizing. It adds only friction, and we don’t need that.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

There will be a split between those that drop D&D in protest and those that don't. How big it will be is impossible to tell.

I mean, if it does, it'll end some game groups and friendships too, and given the much larger number of people playing D&D, it could easily be more than 4E did (as we have 3x-5x as many players) even at a smaller percentage, so I guess it depends on whether you're counting real harm or just "as a percentage".