Open Game License

[2][3][4] The SRD "included the basic rules and elements of D&D, such as classes, monsters, spells, and magic items, enabling the creation of legal support products for the game".

[...] One of my fundamental arguments is that by pursuing the Open Gaming concept, Wizards can establish a clear policy on what it will, and will not allow people to do with its copyrighted materials.

[6] In 2004, Wizards of the Coast addressed what would occur if the license was changed[7] – the OGL "already defines what will happen to content that has been previously distributed using an earlier version, in Section 9.

Greg Tito, for The Escapist in 2011, commented that the GSL "released in conjunction with 4th edition took away many of the freedoms that the industry had come to expect with the D&D rules, such as reprinting text for clarity in new products".

[24][25][26] In response to the speculation, Wizards of the Coast stated in November 2022: "We will continue to support the thousands of creators making third-party D&D content with the release of One D&D in 2024.

[33] The document also states that the intention of the OGL was not "to fund major competitors and it wasn't intended to allow people to make D&D apps, videos, or anything other than printed (or printable) materials for use while gaming".

[33] In a statement to EN World, Dancey, former VP of Wizards of the Coast and the architect of OGL1.0, said, "my public opinion is that Hasbro does not have the power to deauthorize a version of the OGL.

[38] On January 27, 2023, Wizards of the Coast announced that following feedback during the open comment for OGL1.2 they had decided to release the System Reference Document 5.1 (SRD 5.1) under an irrevocable Creative Commons license (CC-BY-4.0) effective immediately and would no longer pursue deauthorizing the OGL1.0a.

[40][41][42][43] Those individuals, groups and publishing companies that license their works under the OGL and similar documents are sometimes collectively referred to as the "open gaming movement".

[47] However, Walsh highlights the "primary benefit" is knowing the exact terms in order to not be sued by Wizards of the Coast and avoiding "having to prove your fair use rights or engage in an expensive legal battle over copyrightability in court".

[48] In November 2022, Game Rant commented that "many players are not happy with the implication" of the OGL discontinuation rumor as "tons of creators and companies have made their living on selling third-party Dungeons and Dragons homebrew.

[31] Chase Carter, for Dicebreaker, commented that "this vision of an updated OGL paves a path for Wizards of the Coast to muscle in on ultra-successful crowdfunding projects without crushing existing communities, which the blog post says are 'a critical part of the D&D experience'.

It also said existing virtual tabletop agreements will not be affected by whatever shape the OGL takes, even though the company has announced their own version to launch close to OneD&D's release in 2024".

[49] Lin Codega, for Io9 on January 5, 2023, wrote that "by ending the original OGL, many licensed publishers will have to completely overhaul their products and distribution in order to comply with the updated rules.

Large publishers who focus almost exclusively on products based on the original OGL, including Paizo, Kobold Press, and Green Ronin, will be under pressure to update their business model incredibly fast".

[50] Law stated that "the most concerning section of the legal document adds that Wizards of the Coast has full rights to any content created by the OGL.

[52] Charlie Hall, for Polygon, commented that "if enforced as written, io9 reports, it could put revenue streams for companies like Pathfinder maker Paizo, Kobold Press, Green Ronin, and others in jeopardy".

[53] In the days following the leak, IGN,[54] Vice,[55] The Guardian,[56] Financial Times[57] and many other industry focused outlets reported on negative reactions from both fans and professional content creators.

[51][58][59] ComicBook.com reported that it had "spoken with over 20 small to mid-sized creators who have said that in-progress projects set to be published under the OGL have been placed on hold due to" the terms in the leak.

[7] As part of a grassroots campaign protesting against the reported terms of the new OGL,[60][61][62] over 66,000[update] people have signed the "#OpenDND" internet petition within days of its launch.

A second bulletin Wednesday [on January 18] included more details about the path forward, along with a mea culpa from [Kyle] Brink, the executive producer, on behalf of his team".

[...] Whether you view the original OGL as a mystic talisman or smoke-and-mirrors, WotC appears to have committed an irreversible act of self-sabotage in trying to replace it — squandering the prestige accumulated over 20 years in a matter of weeks".

[36] Lin Codega, for Io9, wrote that "the commitment to create an irrevocable license under the Creative Commons foundation seems like a good step towards making that happen, and it would not have occurred if Dungeons & Dragons creators, influencers, fans, and third party publishers had universally come together to reject the proposed OGL 1.1".

[38] Kyle Orland, for Ars Technica, stated that "aside from the OGL v1.0a deauthorization, the new draft language scales back many of the most controversial portions of the original leaked update [...].

[78] Christian Hoffer, for ComicBook.com, stated that "this is a major change of pace for Wizards of the Coast and seems to be a surprising end to a controversy that had raged for weeks, drawing attention from mainstream news sites.

[41] Charlie Hall, for Polygon, also highlighted the major mainstream news coverage this controversy received and the possibility that it may have an impact on the success of upcoming film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, scheduled for release in March 2023.

[42] Codega highlighted Kyle Brink, Executive Producer for D&D, who stated "that putting the entire 400-page SRD into the Creative Commons means that fans don't need to 'take [Dungeons & Dragons’] word for it.'

[42] In May 2024, Lin Codega now of Rascal commented that it appeared the Open Game License would not return following Wizards of the Coast's announcement that the revised 5th Edition would have an SRD released under the Creative Commons – a move they considered both "fascinating" and "sad".