With Wizards of the Coast (WoTC) on the verge of rolling out the new 2024 update to D&D’s core rule book set, the company recently announced plans to remove all existing resources from the previous game iterations from their platform, D&D Beyond. To replace them with the updated versions. To streamline the platform, WoTC contended that the change would make its accessibility to all fans easier and more uniform -while also equalizing the entry difficulty for new players.
The Backlash
This decision angered many lifelong players and fans of the iconic TTRPG, sparking a massive controversy online. Due to the nature of the changes WoTC proposed, many fans argued that the decision would not only disrupt the playstyles of games currently running but would also -in all practicality- negate the millions of dollars the player base had spent on the site thus far. The move would virtually delete all the materials and resources they paid for without permission, only to plug in a new set of resources that fans may or may not want, taking away player (and customers’) agency, in the process.
Fans Reaction
Deeply disturbed by both Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast’s disregard for the loyalty and dedication of the D&D fanbase, veteran players and newbies alike took a determined stand against the new policy. This visceral reaction led to a massive pushback: in the form of players unsubscribing to D&D Beyond’s paid service, the deletion of many characters and accounts, and an all-out war on social media with hashtags calling out the decision trending on Twitter for days and accounts blasting mostly Hasbro for the obvious money-grab.
Industry Reaction
Considering the monumental disapproval and castigation of the decision to negate the previous version of D&D entirely, other platforms stepped up to join the many fan voices condemning the move. So much so, that Roll20 publicly called out Wizards of the Coast for their blatant lack of respect for the fans and went on record that: Since WoTC had no intention of making the new core rules an opt-out choice for fans, they would. Announcing that their database would offer both the 2014 D&D 5e rule set and resources alongside the new 2024 version -therefore allowing players the choice of which version they wanted to utilize that was being denied them.
The Resolution
In a move that some believed impossible, given the nature of corporations, WoTC eventually surprised players with a legitimate and seemingly penitent retraction. Negating their previous decision, and backtracking on the proposed changes, to announce that they would -ostensibly- follow Roll20’s assertion and make the utilization of the new core rules a choice rather than an ultimatum. As of now, D&D Beyond has implemented said resolution in the form of delineating the core rules sets under two separate categories.
The 2014 D&D 5e rule set, and all additional resources based on the original 5e, now have the “Legacy” tag in the character creator. While the 2024 rule book set does not have a specialty tag, the choice is visually obvious enough that fans can easily understand the difference. The new 2024 D&D Players Handbook is currently available for pre-order and will be available September 17th, 2024.
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