D&D: WotC’s OGL 1.1 Leaks Get More Confirmation, Creators React

Yesterday’s bombshell leak of planned changes for WotC’s OGL 1.1 seem to cast a wide net, as creators and designers respond.

Yesterday the community at large got a look at what WotC has in store for their OGL 1.1, according to reporting on a leaked document from a reputed source. Not long after Gizmodo broke the story, many prominent figures in the tabletop space weighed in. Some appeared to confirm details from the document.

Others took a closer look at how the OGL might impact creators. And for a license that purports to be Open, things look awfully closed. Here’s a look at creator responses to OGL 1.1.

OGL 1.1 Leaks Get More Confirmation

Before the dust could settle, Kickstarter’s Director of Games spoke out, explaining that Kickstarter had tried to advocate for creators, securing a slightly lower royalty and that there were no hidden benefits or kickbacks for Kickstarter.

This refers to a clause in the OGL 1.1 leaks that targets crowdfunding projects specifically. In a nutshell, commercial projects, including crowdfunded works, that break $750k will owe a 25% royalty on any revenue in excess of that amount. Unless they crowdfund on Kickstarter, in which case WotC will only take a 20% cut of the revenue above $750k.

This last part here is the most important part. Because most publishers who push out large projects that break these kinds of numbers, do so almost exclusively through Crowdfunding. Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms changed the face of the industry, and gaming has bloomed on it. But the profit margins are often small enough that an additional royalty could severely impact the overall success of a project. This left many wondering about endeavors currently in the works. MCDM productions weighed in:

Meanwhile, other creators revealed more leaked details:

And on Instagram other creators, like The Griffon’s Saddlebag reacted to the news, which has been pretty much universally met with criticism.

The Open Gaming Foundation Updates

Meanwhile, Ryan Dancey, architect of the original OGL, and maintainer of the Open Gaming Foundation spoke to EN World about WotC’s attempt to revoke the OGL 1.0(a):

“Yeah my public opinion is that Hasbro does not have the power to deauthorize a version of the OGL. If that had been a power that we wanted to reserve for Hasbro, we would have enumerated it in the license. I am on record numerous places in email and blogs and interviews saying that the license could never be revoked.”

Indeed, the Open Gaming Foundation was updated on January 4th, stating they were aware of the potential issue of a new Open Gaming License:

“We’re aware that Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast is considering issuing a new Open Gaming License and we’re tracking that process. If and when they do release an authorized update to the OGL, if it remains in compliance with the philosophy of Open Gaming we’ll include links to it here on this site.”

The Open Gaming philosophy is fairly simple: “game rules and material that use those rules should be free to copy, modify, and distribute.”

In fact, WoTC at the time of the OGL believed they couldn’t revoke the license:

While no official details have been confirmed yet, the OGL 1.1 story continues to make waves in the tabletop space.

Stay tuned for more as the story develops

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]