D&D 5E WotC: Why Dark Sun Hasn't Been Revived

In an interview with YouTuber 'Bob the Worldbuilder', WotC's Kyle Brink explained why the classic Dark Sun setting has not yet seen light of day in the D&D 5E era.

I’ll be frank here, the Dark Sun setting is problematic in a lot of ways. And that’s the main reason we haven’t come back to it. We know it’s got a huge fan following and we have standards today that make it extraordinarily hard to be true to the source material and also meet our ethical and inclusion standards... We know there’s love out there for it and god we would love to make those people happy, and also we gotta be responsible.

You can listen to the clip here.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Because it's not.
It's not fear.
It's laziness.

WOTC litterally has the money, staff, and power to do it. They just are too lazy or nonchalant to do it (see the Hadozeee incident).

Recent history has shown us that the consequences are pretty bad if you don't do enough work to appease the mob, if that's even possible, so I still think fear is a big factor here.

 

[Imaro]

No, there are just so many people that would get on their high horse regardless of what was put out.

Did Radiant Citadel get any backlash?

EDIT: Isn't this a product that touches on numerous cultures and belief systems?

 

[Micah Sweet]

I would say if you choose to publish/create around mature and controversial content and you do it irresponsibly, yes... you deserve the backlash, the loss in profits and whatever else you get. I'd say the people affected by the issues you've decided you want to publish about are the ones who decide. But more specifically the public will decide since you decided to release a product for public consumption. You seem to want people to be able to create whatever they want consequence and criticism free... No, that's not going to fly because then we end up with NuTSR levels of stupidity in the hobby and no accountability.

Criticism is fine. The kind of discourse we're seeing here is fine. Personal attacks designed to ruin a creator because the mob thinks they didn't do well enough are the problem.

 

[Eubani]

Did Radiant Citadel get any backlash?

EDIT: Isn't this a product that touches on numerous cultures and belief systems?

That was because the writers were an all non white club.

 

[Minigiant]

No, there are just so many people that would get on their high horse regardless of what was put out.

No.. WOTC had the processes to stop the Hadozee incident. They didn't use it and thats what got people on their butts again.

If you put the work in, the people on the high horse will end up looking stupid or be ignored.

For example, there are some troubling things about Marvel's and the MCU's Wakanda. But because Disney put actually effort into it, the complaints are mostly quiet or ignored by the mass public when talking about the Black Panther movie series.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Did Radiant Citadel get any backlash?

EDIT: Isn't this a product that touches on numerous cultures and belief systems?

Were any of those subjects controversial, or is the idea of referencing a non-European derived culture itself a problem? I haven't actually read Radiant Citadel, as I have little interest in anthologies. From what I've heard though, the base setting is practically an artificially-created utopia.

 

[Imaro]

That was because the writers were an all non white club.

What does this have to do with it?

 

[Micah Sweet]

No.. WOTC had the processes to stop the Hadozee incident. They didn't use it and thats what got people on their butts again.

If you put the work in, the people on the high horse will end up looking stupid or be ignored.

For example, there are some troubling things about Marvel's and the MCU's Wakanda. But because Disney put actually effort into it, the complaints are mostly quiet or ignored by the mass public when talking about the Black Panther movie series.

Wakanda is basically a utopian state. What is there to object to that wouldn't itself be shouted down?

 

[Imaro]

Were any of those subjects controversial, or is the idea of referencing a non-European derived culture itself a problem? I haven't actually read Radiant Citadel, as I have little interest in anthologies. From what I've heard though, the base setting is practically an artificially-created utopia.

Yes a few of the adventures touch on mature/horror themes.

 

[Micah Sweet]

What does this have to do with it?

I think the claim here is that they would have gotten flack if anyone on the creative team didnt have a heritage related to the subject matter.