WotC Unveils Official D&D Japan Account – Localization is Back on the Menu

Big news for D&D fans in Japan. WotC unveiled an official Twitter account for D&D in Japan, with more news coming this month!

If you watched the D&D Direct back in April, you probably noticed that D&D will be publishing books in a number of European languages this year:

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy world for everyone around the world. That’s why we are delighted to showcase the latest books that will be available for French, Italian, German and Spanish-speaking players.

This was a followup to 2021’s expansion into European-language editions as well. But even that was a difficult development. If you’ll recall in November 2020, Gale Force 9, who had been handling some of the translation efforts, sued WotC over a breach of contract.

By February of last year, they had settled. And In June 2021, WotC announced that they were assuming direct control over localized versions of D&D in French, Italian, German, and Spanish:

Earlier this year, Wizards of the Coast resumed direct control over localized versions of D&D in French, Italian, German, and Spanish, and started planning new releases for these languages. Other languages may be added later. We’re now making the final preparations to launch our own translated D&D products for the first time.

But notably, WotC had plans to expand their market into other languages which might be “added later.”

D&D In Japan

However, in the background, many of the companies working with GF9 lost their license. Specifically Hobby Japan, which was supporting D&D overseas:

Translation:

Thank you for your patronage. We would like to inform you about the development of the Japanese version of D & D . Due to various reasons, the release of new products in 2021, including the Japanese version of “Ice Wind Dale: The Poem of the Frozen Maiden” and “TASHA’S CAULDRON OF EVERYTHING”, has been cancelled. I am truly sorry.

Hobby Japan’s license expired in June of 2022. Which had most players believe that D&D 5E support was going to be terminated at the time, according to a petition from October 2021, hoping to reach WotC and let them know fans wanted more D&D in Japan.

Then, on July 1st, WotC made a surprise announcement in the form of a new Twitter account:

Translation:

Thank you for following! Wizards of the Coast “Dungeons & Dragons” Japan official account.

More information about the future will be announced later in July. Please look forward to it!

While we don’t yet know what else is going, WotC now has an official presence in Japan. We’ll keep you updated as more news comes out.

Happy Adventuring

Author: J.R. Zambrano

Bell of Lost Souls Staff Writer and DM, J.R. covers RPGs of all stripes and on occasion eats sandwiches. You can ask him about either at [email protected]