Dungeons and Dragonsplayers crashed theD&D Beyondwebsite recently while mass-canceling their subscriptions in response to an insider leak. This development comes in an ongoing saga surroundingDungeons and Dragons' recent controversy involving its Open Game License.
The OGL is a two-decade old document that allowsDungeons and Dragonsplayers to create and publish content forD&Dif they follow certain loose guidelines. However, credible informants from within Wizards of the Coast recentlyleaked a draft ofDungeons and Dragons’new iteration of the OGL. Dubbed the OGL 1.1, the agreement includes restrictions, royalties, and creative control that would strangulate many third-party publishers.
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Now, another anonymous insider has shared a shocking email from within Wizards of the Coast. According to the message, higher-ups at Wizards of the Coast are delaying the rollout of the new OGL because of thebacklash fromDungeons and Dragonsfans. That said, it currently has no intention to change its plans, and is counting on players forgetting their grievances. Evidently, it is looking at the bottom line, and subscriptions toD&D Beyondseem to be one of the quickest ways it can gauge its financial data.
Players heard this message loud and clear, and began flocking toD&D Beyond’swebsite to cancel their subscriptions and delete their accounts. “DnDBegone” and “StopTheSub” joinedOpenDnD as trending on Twitteras players disparaged Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro over its draconian policies. The volume of players on theD&D Beyondwebsite overloaded its servers, causing the Subscription Management page to temporarily crash.
TheD&D Beyondpage has since been restored, but further outages should be expected by fans wishing to make their voices heard. Thousands of players and content creators have already pulled their support ofDungeons and DragonsviaD&D Beyond. Regardless of ifWizards of the Coast can revoke the old OGL, it is clear the bad faith it has earned will take a lot to clear.
Dungeons and Dragonshas yet to give a full statement on the evolving situation. A few days earlier, it claimed it would be sharing more soon, but has said nothing since.D&D Beyondalso had a Twitch stream planned right around the time this leak came out, which it has since canceled, claiming the event was a holdover of an outdated schedule. The longer Wizards of the Coast goes without addressing these concerns properly, the more players will flock toDungeons and Dragonscompetitors like Kobold Pressand Paizo.
Dungeons and Dragonsis available now.One D&Dis in development.
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