D&D Quietly Moves Forward, Unveiling New Book Amid OGL Uproar
The survey looking for feedback for the OGL 1.2 hasn’t even closed yet, as WotC quietly unveils their next book to little fanfare.
The tabletop industry is in a volatile place right now. Wizards of the Coast has recently seen just how impactful the OGL 1.0a has been. And has been made to listen to the community, at least for the time being.
Their more recent approach to the community has taken a vastly different tone from their original positions. The D&D team has released a “draft” of the OGL 1.2 and accompanying policies, including one that targets VTTs. But the release schedule moves steadily forward. Despite the community uproar, WotC has quietly unveiled their newest book, Keys from the Golden Vault on the Wizards Play Network site, but has kept relatively quiet elsewhere.
This is both a sign that WotC understands that now isn’t the time to get the community hyped for the next D&D book, and a signal that they intend to keep moving forward. Instead of halting the release schedule, or delaying sorting out community issues, the schedule is going forward.
Whether this is because WotC hopes to have the newest OGL in hand for the community by the time the release has come out, or because the release schedule comes from higher up the chain than anyone at WotC is uncertain.
But it is unfortunate for the designers and writers and artists who worked on the book, well in advance of the OGL drama. As people in the community have said, it’s WotC the company causing the tabletop crisis. Not necessarily any individual working on a WotC product. The internet being what it is, harassment follows in its wake.
The OGL Sets the Tone For WotC’s Forthcoming Releases
Keys from the Golden Vault is just one of the many planned releases for the coming year. This one, in particular, is an anthology of heist-themed adventures, 13 all in all. And while comedy might be all about timing, capitalism isn’t. It knows only one direction, and not the cool boy band, but rather it can only grow and consume.
So the engine spins on. And regardless of community feeling, the releases continue.
The question that remains to be answered is, can the community move forward while discussions about the OGL are still underway? If WotC plans to deauthorize the OGL 1.0a, what might it take to dissuade them from moving ahead with that plan? If they don’t back down, how will the community react to new releases?
Will those who have sworn off 5E, at least until the OGL 1.0a is left untouched, stick to their guns, or will this be another Modern Warfare 2 “boycott” situation?
This is another test the community faces, especially as WotC’s movie and television plans start to crystallize. Will the D&D community put up? Or shut up?
Either way, the OGL saga has cast a pallor over the last year of 5th Edition. And with no further communication from WotC about the community feedback as of press time, the release, about stealing from the wealthy and powerful, couldn’t have worse or better timing, depending on your perspective.
What do you think of the releases churning on while the OGL is still up for debate?
