DnD for all: WotC will use old Open Gaming License following community uproar

Following a survey for proposed changes to the Dungeons & Dragons Open Gaming license 1.2, Wizards of the Coast announced that they will leave OGL 1.0a alone.

Plans to move forward with a Dungeons & Dragons Open Gaming license 1.2 were squashed today by WotC and its parent company, Hasbro. Fans lashed out at both companies shortly after the new year following leaks of proposed changes to the Open Gaming license, which potentially would see Hasbro gain a portion of profits from target organizations and even rights to certain content. 

The changes were delayed by WotC and a survey of what the Dungeons & Dragons community wanted was released, but not without a harsh response from WotC. The response from WotC today, however, was much different, with the company officially announcing that the 1.0a OGL will remain “untouched,” the SRD 5.1 will become available “under a Creative Commons license,” and that creators and fans can pick which one they want to use.

Here was the breakdown of the Dungeons & Dragons OGL 1.2 survey, according to WotC. 

• 88 percent do not want to publish TTRPG content under OGL 1.2.
• 90 percent would have to change some aspects of their business to accommodate OGL 1.2.
• 89 percent are dissatisfied with deauthorizing OGL 1.0a.
• 86 percent are dissatisfied with the draft VTT policy.
• 62 percent are satisfied with including Systems Reference Document (SRD) content in Creative Commons, and the majority of those who were dissatisfied asked for more SRD content in Creative Commons.

Content through the Creative Commons license is free and available for anyone to use as WotC doesn’t “control that license and cannot alter or revoke it.” 

“Placing the SRD under a Creative Commons license is a one-way door,” said Kyle Brink. “There’s no going back.”

The official OGL 1.2 survey has been closed and a PDF of the SRD 5.1 was released by WotC today. Reactions from the Dungeons & Dragons community have been positive, with creator DnDShorts praising the community and declaring the changes a victory for all.