During an investor meeting, Wizards of the Coast claimedDungeons and Dragonsis currently “under-monetized.” In the near future, it seems like Wizards of the Coast wants to capitalize on the brand to create a “recurrent spending environment” withinDungeons and Dragons.
Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks and Wizards of the Coast CEO Cynthia Williams recently participated in a fireside chat with their investors. During the presentation, Williams stated that whileDungeons and Dragonshas never been more popular, and that engagement is at an all-time high, market data showed the platform itself was built to under-sell its products to the audience. This is largely becausemostDungeons and Dragonsbooksare marketed towards Dungeon Masters, who only make up about 20% of the population.
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Wizards of the Coast seems intent on changing that.D&D Beyondalready features individualized monetization, with purchasable cosmetic dice, avatars, and content, andDungeons and Dragons’in-development virtual tabletop will undoubtedly continue this. With theDungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thievesmovie andBaldur’s Gate 3coming out in 2023, it is clear Wizards of the Coast is seeking to transformDungeons and Dragonsinto a multimedia franchise, with more options for profit as it seeks to create a “recurrent spending environment” that reaches more fans.
Dungeons and Dragonsis also currently developingOne D&D, a new evergreen version of5th Edition. This rules expansion claims to be backwards compatible with its predecessor while evolving the game in ways that safeguard it for future use. However,rumors ofOne D&Ddiscontinuing the Open Game Licensehas manyDungeons and Dragonshomebrew content creators concerned, despite Wizards of the Coasts’ promise to “continue to support the thousands of creators making third-partyD&Dcontent.”
4th Edition Dungeons and Dragonswas largely unsuccessful because Wizards of the Coast abolished the OGL and inundated its market with too many products. The possibility that Wizards of the Coast may be repeating both of these mistakes withOne D&Dhas many players understandably alarmed. ConsideringWizards of the Coast was recently called out for over-monetizingMagic: The Gathering, it is discouraging to see it may do the same withDungeons and Dragons.
Rumors and whispers from boardroom meetings aside,Dungeons and Dragonshas not made any official statements on specifics regarding any of these developments yet. Though players are rightfully concerned, they should avoid panicking until the situation becomes more clear. Nevertheless,Dungeons and Dragonsplayers deserve to knowwhat the future of the roleplaying game will look like. Hopefully Wizards of the Coast will provide more definitive statements soon so players and content creators can better plan for their future with the world’s most popular TTRPG.
One D&Dis in development.
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