WotC WotC Announces D&D Live Streaming Event

On July 16th-17th WotC is running their now-traditional online streaming event, D&D Live. The press release is below.

“D&D Live 2021 will be streamed on July 16th & 17th and will feature star-studded casts playing with expert DMs, special product announcements, giveaways for those with high enough INT rolls & more!”

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Last year, D&D Live 2020 featured a bunch of celebrity guests, and the announcement of Rime of the Frostmaiden and some other accessories. This one mentions product announcements, so we have our first official announcement of an announcement of the year, coming in July!

This morning I rolled a critical success on a d20, valiantly earning the right to announce Wizards of the Coast and G4 are partnering for D&D Live 2021, a special two-day streaming event on July 16-17 and continuing with four all-new limited-run campaign series to premiere on G4 this Fall.

“D&D Live 2021 is going to be an innovative event with new forms of interactivity for a live streaming audience and the perfect D&D introduction for new audiences,” said Brian Terwilliger, 12th level VP of Programming and Creative Strategy at G4. “We’re thrilled to partner with Wizards of the Coast to give fans adventure, comedy, and an incredibly entertaining journey into the theater of the mind.”

“D&D Live has been such an exciting event for both fans and Wizards, and it’s amazing how it has grown each year. In 2021, we are expanding D&D Live’s impact by partnering with G4,” said Nathan Stewart, Level 20 Wizard of the Coast, Head of Franchise. “With G4 joining our party, we aim to bring even more fans to Dungeons & Dragons by showcasing friends adventuring together.”

D&D Live 2021 will take place on the 16th and 17th of Flamerule (which is equivalent to “July” in the Forgotten Realms calendar in case you were rusty). The two-day event will feature four games with star-studded casts playing with expert DMs, as well as hosted content featuring games, interviews, special product announcements, a Dungeon Master roundtable, and exclusive giveaways for those with high enough INT rolls. The timing and casts will be announced soon, and my halfling rogue is always good to go in case they need backups.

This alignment – which I’d totally call Chaotic Good - will continue through G4’s official launch later this year as the two brands party up for a limited series premiering after the network’s launch. The series will follow four campaigns with a mix of G4 talent, veteran D&D players, and celebrities for a new generation of D&D fans.

“As we continue to interact with our audience leading up to the launch of the network, one of the most resounding requests was for tabletop gaming content,” said Kevin Sabbe, Head of Content, G4, who looks great in a hooded traveler’s cloak, I must admit. “This partnership reinforces our focus on authentic gaming content that will entertain existing D&D fans and those new to the world of tabletop as well.”

The announcement comes as G4 continues its Epic April celebration, a classic G4 tradition where the network unveils an ogre’s load of talent/programming announcements, summons big giveaways, and generally behaves like a dwarven berserker nine espressos in. Previous announcements include G4’s partnership with WWE for a competition video game series, the return of the fan-favorite classic Ninja Warrior to the network, and the introduction of Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez and Kassem G as G4’s newest cast members.

Roll for excitement - nat 20!

Sincerely,
Phil “Philandraell” from the Marketing Guild


WotC is partnering with a 'next generation network' called G4. "G4, the next-generation network created for gamers, by gamers. Authentic to its legendary roots, G4 returns in 2021 with classic shows and brand-new original content driven by a passion to entertain, unite and inspire gaming’s enthusiastic and diverse communities. Based in Los Angeles and available everywhere gamers congregate, G4 is committed to bringing the industry together through content, commerce, and experiences that set a new standard for gaming innovation, inclusion, and accessibility. Reinvented by Spectacor Gaming, owner and operator of a growing portfolio of gaming and esports assets – including Overwatch League’s Philadelphia Fusion and T1 Entertainment & Sports – G4 is also connected to and inspired by the technology and creativity of Comcast NBCUniversal."

This is what G4's website says:

Like for real. It's really coming back. There's a website with a fancy purple shape design with stars in it and everything. You might be asking, "Why relaunch a TV network about video games now? We already have Twitch and YouTube!" Great question, we'll think about it. In the meantime, here's what we CAN tell you...
  • G4 is a digital first network going live in 2021.
  • Will it be on TV? Comcast pays the bills, so take a guess!
  • The network will feature gaming and pop culture shows plus epic live special programming. And an alpaca every now and then.
  • It will look awesome, but also kind of low budget at the same time.
  • We're doubling down on reruns of COPS and Cheaters.
Okay, that last one was a joke. The rest is true.
 
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Parmandur

Book-Friend
I guess is you use the Astronomical calendar instead of a Meteorological one, I suppose you can argue September is summer. But I don't really want to argue about what system of measuring seasons is better (even though the Astronomical one says December is mostly fall, which is silly). I also don't think that the annual adventures are marketed as summer releases, although the events promoting them (which do take place in the summer) have been labeled summer events. The Descent event for example.

Anyway, I hold that they've moved the adventure to July. For one, I am nearly certain that the 3 products mentioned in the dev blog are books/boxes. I don't see why they would even mention them (and their lead designers) if they weren't.

Add to that, compare this year to 2020. Last year the release schedule was March, July, September, November. This year, so far it is March and May. If there are three more books (and I think there will be), then they would likely be more books in July, September, November. I think they like the spacing of every other month, and don't like releasing in December because it is a little late for holiday shopping.
I do agree with you about the July release, incidentally...but September books have been termed as Summer books by WotC in the past pretty consistently, and they have been released prior to the start of Fall. More apt points would be that they have been released in the Third Fiscal Quarter, and in time for the start of a new school year (when the target audience of high schoolers and college students tend to be starting new campaigns).
 

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Usually does, though its odd they are having this years so late. I was looking forward to three months of anguish debating whether to cancel all my current games to replace with whatever is released in september (a yearly ritual for me)

D&D live 2021 happens to be the exact same day as Adventures in the Forgotten Realms MtG card set is released July 16th, that is not an accident, expect heavily MtG ties in this year. Plus increased rate of releases.
 



Last three adventures were in September. Imagine that will be the focus
Any July release will likely be something small, like WILDERNESS KIT that just appears on Amazon with a wet thud of fanfare

All three are major book releases, minor releases are also being released, DM screens count as minor releases.

So either July or September is an adventure (more likely July), and the September book announced would be either a Monster/Player options book or setting book. 50/50 chance they announce Novembers release as well which is extremely likely to be a setting book. Plus minor products could be announced as well. Oh and MtG tie in stuff, this is happening on the exact a date of the AFR MtG release.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
All three are major book releases, minor releases are also being released, DM screens count as minor releases.

So either July or September is an adventure (more likely July), and the September book announced would be either a Monster/Player options book or setting book. 50/50 chance they announce Novembers release as well which is extremely likely to be a setting book. Plus minor products could be announced as well. Oh and MtG tie in stuff, this is happening on the exact a date of the AFR MtG release.
It wouldn't surprise me if we hear about a July product soon (though I'm not dogmatic about it), and this livestream is designed to dovetail with hyping that product, and the Magic Set, whilst previewing the next product, for sure. If I've learned anything about the 5E product schedule the last 7 years, it's that WotC is not beholden to doing things exactly the same every year, although they tend to be evolutions or spins rather than radical departures.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
D&D live 2021 happens to be the exact same day as Adventures in the Forgotten Realms MtG card set is released July 16th, that is not an accident, expect heavily MtG ties in this year. Plus increased rate of releases.
I agree, though part of it is that it is Friday-Saturday which is ideal for both livestream events and Magic Set releases. I personally expect the Adventure book this year will dovetail with the Magic product, as well.
 

That still doesn't explain where the idea of a July book came from
And assumes that all three products are DnD RPG books and not miscellany sets or a new DnD Annual

Still haven't seen any link to citation to someone from WizCo mentioning a July book or fifth RPG book

Could be new adventure in September, a new starter box or kit in October, and ASHARDALON'S LAIR OF DRAGONKIND or whatever in November
Unsubstantiated rumors and wishful thinking then

Check out the product catalog
Whole mess of products in 2020. 23 of them. Still only four new RPG books
A new card game or board game or map pack could still be a "major product."

Yes. All signs point that. And it being Spell Jammer. In a boxed set. With a cloth map

For D&D only RPG hardcovers count as major releases, everything else is supplemental accessories. Coloring books, cook books, novels, DM screens, Dice, Choose your own adventure books, tiles, Minitures, etc..., are minor releases.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
All three are major book releases, minor releases are also being released, DM screens count as minor releases.

So either July or September is an adventure (more likely July), and the September book announced would be either a Monster/Player options book or setting book. 50/50 chance they announce Novembers release as well which is extremely likely to be a setting book. Plus minor products could be announced as well. Oh and MtG tie in stuff, this is happening on the exact a date of the AFR MtG release.
Yeah, it was pretty clear from Winninger's tease that all three projects are books or book-level equivalents, after introducing the three Senior Designers involved as people whose job it is to lead production on books.
 


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