Since their acquisition of the popular game publisher, Wizards of the Coast, back in 1999, Hasbro has had a solid chokehold over the trading card market and total dominance over all things tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG). However, 2023 seems to be shaping up to be a terrible year for the multinational conglomerate company because of back-to-back controversies surrounding the once-beloved brand.
Earlier this month, we touched on the story of how Hasbro sent the Pinkertons to collect trading cards that were yet to be released. But Hasbro was already in hot water for quite some time before things for their other major product, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), started going downhill. Here’s what you need to know about why the once-beloved game franchise is now so hated:
Why D&D Was Successful In The First Place
Hot take: D&D is the number one TTRPG in the world because of the Open Game License and the community of designers and players this has fostered. Not because it’s the better game, not even because it’s called D&D.
— Cam Banks 🇳🇿 (@boymonster) January 5, 2023
D&D has had its fair share of ups and downs, but it cannot be denied that it has reached stellar heights and had more incredible success in recent years than it ever had in its 50-year run. This can be attributed to three major reasons: its open game license, the internet, and a group called “Critical Role.”
Since the introduction of its 5th Edition, content creators both on YouTube and Twitch have fallen in love with this game and have largely done the advertising for Hasbro and WotC without them lifting a finger. However, due to recent events, public opinion has now shifted, and long-time players want out.
The OGL History & Recent Debacle
I can confirm these changes are what @Wizards digital game VP Chris Cao has planned for the future of D&D
The $30pm is for the highest tier, and includes monthly content drops
Their dream is everyone paying $30pm to play
Hos is correct on everything, confirmed by WotC sources https://t.co/nqCYanGIsD
— DnD_Shorts (@DnD_Shorts) January 16, 2023
For those unaware, D&D is a massive franchise that commands control in the TTRPG space, and for good reason. The reason why the game is so beloved is because of its OGL, which allows players to create a third-party system based on D&D rules; this makes the game infinitely unique and new if players are bored of standard gameplay. Since its introduction in 2000, it has allowed other systems that are based on the D&D system, like Pathfinder, to exist.
The OGL was made to be future-proof, with all sorts of contingencies put in place to prevent people from revising it to suit their needs. However, all of that changed when talks of revising the OGL were made public back in December, stating that it needs an update” to let it function as originally intended but “without allowing things like third-parties to mint D&D NFTs and large businesses to exploit our intellectual property.”
This was seen as a huge controversy because it gave the game’s owners and publishers the chance to fully control and appropriate a wholly unique idea created by their players. People can still create new ideas and concepts under this new license, but if it becomes too popular and produces $750,000 a year, they are mandated to give 20% to 25% back to WotC as royalty fees.
Hey Siri, what does gaslighting mean?
— Aaron Shanks (@aaronwshanks) January 13, 2023
Furthermore, if any of their competitors were using their license, they would reserve the right to terminate their ability to use that license whenever they see fit. This greedy act spiralled into a massive controversy, and over 60,000 people signed an open letter condemning WotC and their actions.
In response, many cancelled their online subscription service, D&D Beyond. Game publishers like Paizo, creator of Pathfinder, broke off from the TTRPG system in favour of creating their own license and TTRPG system. Even the popular voice actor Matthew Mercer, famous for Cole Cassidy from “Overwatch” and Ganondorf from “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom”, could not help but share his disappointment with the whole issue. Because of this, WotC was forced to redact their new OGL for revision, but the damage was already done. WotC tried to amend the damage by stating that the new OGL was for the good of all the community… Paizo’s Director of Marketing, Aaron Shanks, summed up the community’s response in one tweet.
Critical Role’s History “Role” in D&D’s Downfall
From all of us at Critical Role. pic.twitter.com/PDi9tDF4dc
— Critical Role (@CriticalRole) January 13, 2023
Since streaming video games has been a thing, there are other groups that have decided to livestream their D&D campaigns for the world to see. The most popular of these is Critical Role, “where a bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons and Dragons.” They have been the reigning champions of the TTRPG space and have the largest sway in terms of audience because of their star-studded cast, such as Liam O’Brien, who voiced Gaara from Naruto, and Marisha Ray, who voiced Margaret from Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. However, the most popular among them is their Game Master, Matthew Mercer, who voiced popular characters from a multitude of games and anime and wrote an expansive world and a compelling story that would hook anyone listening to it.
This group gathers together to play D&D every Thursday and has garnered a massive following that reaches far and wide. It has been one of the main reasons why so many people invested in the TTRPG space in the first place. If you want to know more about them but don’t want to spend the energy to watch their 3-hour episodes, then you can simply watch Legend of Vox Machina on Amazon Prime Video, as that is their D&D adventures animated.
Mercer has been a massive advocate for all things TTRPG, which is why it broke his heart when he found out about the new OGL. Unfortunately, due to a contract and a fleet of lawyers, he could not publicly voice his opinion until all of that had passed, but he made his opinion clear the moment he had the chance. In a post via the Critical Role Twitter page, they announced that they are against Hasbro’s plans to monetize and take full control of the D&D space.
To add further salt to the wound, Darrington Press, the tabletop game imprint for Critical Role Productions, doubled down (literally) by creating and announcing two new TTRPG systems that will go toe-to-toe against D&D itself and will be released later this year. With Critical Role’s massive sway over the D&D audience, it’s safe to say that they will take their massive fan base along with them into this new game system they have created upon its release.
Bandaging A Hole Made By A Cannonball
Since the announcement of their plans, Hasbro and WotC have been in full damage control mode, panicking to fix the damage they have caused. The best they can do to win back their audience’s support is revising the OGL, which they have done. The royalty structure has been removed, and they made sure not to touch people’s player-made creations – but people have already moved on to greener pastures. WotC has insisted that they will act better moving forward, but they have lied multiple times, made very few concessions, and then tried to condescendingly gaslight their whole community. Furthermore, the original lawyers who drafted the original OGL are said to be preparing a case to sue Hasbro in the event they push through with their plans.
This may serve as a learning moment for them and for other companies to not bite the hand that feeds them. The TTRPG community has grown over the last 20 years since the first OGL was created, and people are not stupid enough to take things lying down; Hasbro just had to learn that in the worst way possible.
