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WotC shaper connected leaked OGL v1.1: "We are sorry. We got it wrong."

Kyle Orland - Jan 18, 2023 7:11 p.m. UTC

Enlarge / Artist's conception of the coming treatment betwixt Wizards of the Coast and the D&D assemblage implicit projected OGL updates.

When Wizards of the Coast (WotC) rolled retired projected changes to its decades-old Open Gaming License (OGL), astir mean players and smaller creators had to perceive astir it via a leaked transcript of a mentation sent to large contented makers. Now, WotC promises immoderate coming changes volition beryllium done done a "more unfastened and transparent" process that volition commencement a "robust conversation" astir immoderate caller proposals.

In a station connected the D&D Beyond forums today, WotC Executive Producer Kyle Brink writes that "new projected OGL documentation" volition beryllium shared publically connected oregon earlier Friday, January 20. At that point, assemblage members volition person astatine slightest 2 weeks to connection feedback via a survey that volition see circumstantial questions and open-response fields.

WotC compared the caller process to the 1 it uses for playtests of Unearthed Arcana documents, which are often utilized to solicit feedback connected draught mechanics and gameplay ideas that haven't been afloat tested. Once the caller OGL survey concludes, Brink says WotC volition "compile, analyze, respond to, and contiguous backmost what we heard from you."

We’re atrocious (that you noticed)

Brink clarified a fewer types of fan-made contented that the caller OGL explicitly won't affect, including videos, contracted services (e.g., paid dungeon maestro services), and virtual tabletop content. Brink besides reiterated WotC's caller promise that the caller OGL won't complaint immoderate royalties, won't interaction existing contented licensed nether OGL 1.0a, and won't necessitate you to licence originative contented backmost to WotC (all elements that were contradicted successful the leaked mentation of OGL 1.1).

Brink's station besides offers WotC's astir nonstop apology yet for the OGL fiasco that led galore tabletop publishers to wantonness WotC successful caller weeks.

"We are sorry," Brink writes. "We got it wrong. Our connection and requirements successful the draught OGL were disruptive to creators and not successful enactment of our halfway goals of protecting and cultivating an inclusive play situation and limiting the OGL to TTRPGs. Then we compounded things by being soundless for excessively long. We wounded fans and creators, erstwhile much predominant and wide communications could person prevented truthful overmuch of this."

Brink's station and other WotC communications person referred to the leaked OGL 1.1 arsenic a "draft" that was shared with large contented creators "so their feedback could beryllium considered earlier thing was finalized." But immoderate successful the assemblage person challenged that characterization, saying OGL 1.1 was distributed with an attached contract that allegedly came with a signature deadline and pre-negotiated preferential presumption for immoderate backing sources.

"Wizards is going to effort to accidental what we've seen of OGL 1.1 is simply a draught that they sent retired for feedback. That's a lie," large D&D creator The Griffon's Saddlebag said connected Instagram past week. "Never erstwhile did WotC inquire for feedback oregon accidental that it was a draught oregon immoderate of these things. ... The happening is that cipher signed it, that's wherefore they're backpedaling and waffling connected this."

Wizards of the Coast has not responded to a petition for remark from Ars Technica connected the ongoing contention surrounding OGL changes.