Some fans of Dungeons & Dragons want to boycott the new movie. The reason is a possible change in the licensing of D&D content.
What kind of trailer is this? From March 30, 2023, the movie “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” will be released in theaters, starring actor Chris Pine as the protagonist “Edgin.”
Edgin is a thief who, along with a group of adventurers, is responsible for a powerful magical artifact falling into evil hands. A mistake he must rectify throughout the movie.
On January 23, Paramount Pictures released a new trailer showcasing the humor and action of the film. However, not all D&D fans are filled with anticipation; some even want to boycott the title.
We embed the new trailer of the upcoming D&D movie here:
Fans want to boycott the D&D movie
What kind of boycott is this? On social media, especially on Twitter, the hashtag “BoycottDNDMovie” is currently circulating. With this, D&D fans aim to call for a boycott of the movie.
Why are fans calling for the boycott? The reason for the boycott is a planned change in the licensing of D&D content that could affect fan projects and third-party content. A leaked document with potential changes is the trigger for the unrest among fans.
According to the old licensing agreement, the “Open Gaming License 1” (OGL-1), external designers and publishers were allowed to develop new products for D&D according to the American site gizmodo.com. It did not matter whether it was fan projects or professionally produced third-party products.
Furthermore, gizmodo reports that a leaked document in December 2022 stated that the OGL was intended to allow the community to help D&D grow and creatively expand.
The document also reportedly states that the OGL was not designed to finance large competitors or to create “D&D apps, videos, or anything else besides printed (or printable) material for use during gameplay.”
Additionally, gizmodo reports that the leak of the new licensing regulations states that developers of crowdfunding works must pay a 25% licensing fee on qualified earnings, with Kickstarter being the only exception where only a 20% licensing fee would apply.
Some fans view the proposed changes to the OGL as a disrespect to third-party D&D content providers (via Twitter).
D&D officials respond to fan criticism
How are the officials reacting to the criticism? On January 18, 2023, Kyle Brink, the Executive Producer of Dungeons & Dragons, addressed fans in a statement and responded to the expressed criticism.
At the beginning of the statement, Brink apologizes and admits mistakes. They have hurt content creators, and better communication was necessary. Brink promises to work on this moving forward and vows to be open and more transparent while gathering feedback on proposed changes to the OGL.
Building on that, he announced a sort of “playtest” for the OGL changes. This is a document with suggestions for the new OGL, from which feedback will be collected via a survey afterwards.
The document with the proposals was published on January 20. You can find it at dndbeyond.com and can still participate in the survey.
Finally, Brink shared a list of content that, according to him, will not be affected by changes to the OGL.
Which content is, according to Brink, not affected by the changes to the OGL?
- Content you publish on DMs Guild will also continue to fall under a “Community Content Agreement” with the Dungeon Masters Guild, according to Brink.
- Content published under OGL 1.0a will always be licensed under OGL 1.0a, according to Brink, and therefore will not be affected by future changes to the OGL.
Additionally, Brink states in the statement that there will be no licensing fees or financial reporting requirements. Furthermore, content creators will continue to own their content.
Besides the D&D movie, there are also rumors that there will be a game in the D&D universe that is supposedly going to be like The Witcher:
Dungeons & Dragons is getting a new AAA game – rumor says it will be like The Witcher
- Video content (as a commentator, streamer, podcaster, or live play cast member on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok)
- This content is covered by the “Wizards Fan Content Policy,” according to Brink. Thus, the OGL will not affect it now or in the future.
- Sale of accessories such as minis, novels, clothing, dice, and other items
- Unpublished works, such as contractually agreed services.
- Commissioned work, paid DM services, consulting, and so forth are not affected by the OGL.
- VTT content
- DMs Guild content
- Content you publish on DMs Guild will also continue to fall under a “Community Content Agreement” with the Dungeon Masters Guild, according to Brink.
- OGL 1.0a content
- Content published under OGL 1.0a will always be licensed under OGL 1.0a, according to Brink, and therefore will not be affected by future changes to the OGL.
Additionally, Brink states in the statement that there will be no licensing fees or financial reporting requirements. Furthermore, content creators will continue to own their content.
Besides the D&D movie, there are also rumors that there will be a game in the D&D universe that is supposedly going to be like The Witcher:
Dungeons & Dragons is getting a new AAA game – rumor says it will be like The Witcher
