D&D General Todd Kenreck Let Go from WotC

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I can't help but feel that this is a bad sign.

Also, I really enjoyed Todd's interviews with people like Perkins and Crawford, especially in regards to the Monster Manual 2024. To see them all gone from WoTC now is... a bit alarming?

Of course, I have little experience inside this industry, so who knows?

The game industry generally (when including videogames) often goes through periods after a big release where they cut stuff way down and go into a maintenance phase.

No one is shocked at, say, Blizzard, when a bunch of people leave after Diablo IV comes out and they only keep a smaller crew on hand to maintain the live service component and work on expansions.

It's possible that this a bloodbath. But it's also possible that the maintenance mode for the 2024 books is to have a product manager and others who direct the supplements and adventures, but who are mostly focused on wrangling freelancers, and there's not a big need for a large in-house staff.

We'll see.

 

[TravDoc42]

The game industry generally (when including videogames) often goes through periods after a big release where they cut stuff way down and go into a maintenance phase.

No one is shocked at, say, Blizzard, when a bunch of people leave after Diablo IV comes out and they only keep a smaller crew on hand to maintain the live service component and work on expansions.

It's possible that this a bloodbath. But it's also possible that the maintenance mode for the 2024 books is to have a product manager and others who direct the supplements and adventures, but who are mostly focused on wrangling freelancers, and there's not a big need for a large in-house staff.

We'll see.

That's a good point! It's hard to tell from the outside, and I'm not very versed in the world of corporate.
Thank you for your insight!!

 

[Eubani]

Maybe the plan all along was for Todd to help "sell" the new edition update and the immediate UA's afterwards and that's it.

 

[CommodoreKong]

I'm starting to wonder if everyone else who left did so because they could read the writing on the wall.

Sometimes higher ups are given the option to step down instead of being fired/laid off to save face. I don’t know if that’s what happened here or not but it does happen.

 

[pukunui]

@Eubani Todd's last name is "Kenreck" not "Kendrick". Could you please correct that in your thread title? Always good to get people's names right! EDIT: Thank you!


As an aside, I initially found Todd kind of intimidating-looking back in the 4e days when he had no facial hair and a shaved head. I warmed up to him once he let some hair grow back on his head. He always let his enthusiasm for the game shine through in his interviews. I really hope he lands on his feet somewhere. All the best to him!

 

[Koloth]

As I commented in the earlier thread on WOTC personnel actions, this is pretty SOP for WOTC. The new edition(2024 Core) is out the door, time to cull and replace the herd. Anyone considering accepting a gig at WOTC should consider it a temp job no matter how it is advertised and update your resume when the thing you are working on heads off to the printer. Its probably good experience, just don't plan on getting WOTC/Hasbro retirement checks.

I don't see this as a major shift in direction but more like WOTC just doing what they do.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

He got laid off, Perkins and Crawford bailed, Jess Lanzillo...

It's all pretty high profile.

Okay. Sounds like the point you were trying to make was that there is some heavy duty churn happening at WotC, and we should discuss what the fallout of that is? I'm down with that.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

This is the worst loss yet, I love Todd's videos!!!

This whole thing is getting weird. I hope Paizo or Kobold Press or Darrington Press snatch him up.

 

[Steampunkette]

Okay. Sounds like the point you were trying to make was that there is some heavy duty churn happening at WotC, and we should discuss what the fallout of that is? I'm down with that.

Sure!

I think paired with the killing of Sigil and Video Game stuff and the press on TV and Movies not going great (internally at Hasbro) we might be looking at a massive restructuring and redirection of D&D.

Specifically, I think they're gonna go all in on AI.

 

[pukunui]

Sure!

I think paired with the killing of Sigil and Video Game stuff and the press on TV and Movies not going great (internally at Hasbro) we might be looking at a massive restructuring and redirection of D&D.

Specifically, I think they're gonna go all in on AI.

I won't be surprised if you turn out to be right. However, I will be frustrated and disappointed because AI just ain't there yet (and may never be)! It's mostly smoke and mirrors at this point, but so many people have been hoodwinked by the tech bros.