Wizards Clarifies One D&D Third Party Support

After a long stretch of rumors and hearsay, Wizards of the Coast have issued an official statement regarding concerns around One D&D third party support.


Published: November 22, 2022 2:31 PM /

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Artwork of dragons and adventurers from D&D Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Wizards of the Coast have released new information regarding One D&D. The tabletop studio has been hard at work developing the next edition of Dungeons & Dragons, making changes to some of the game's systems, getting playtest feedback, and experimenting to see what sticks. But rumors have circulated regarding what One D&D third-party support will be, raising concerns for multiple companies and creators that make material for the world's most popular TTRPG. Some of those concerns have been alleviated thanks to an official statement by Wizards on the matter.

One D&D third-party support statement

First, some context. The concerns around One D&D third-party support began when a series of unconfirmed leaks suggested that Wizards of the Coast would not provide an Open Game License (OGL) and System Reference Document (SRD) for the newest edition of D&D. For those not aware, an OGL acts as a public copyright license, where third party studios can publish and sell material for that system. Furthermore, the System Reference Document outlines what rules and game mechanics can be used or adjusted when creating this third-party material.

This is important since no OGL or SRD means that any One D&D third-party support can not happen. For reference, the highly contentious Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition used a more restrictive game license, which meant that all material developed for that version of the game had to be made in-house by Wizards of the Coast. Because of this, there is almost no third-party support for that edition. In comparison, D&D 5e does have an OGL, allowing for many different creatives to bring their own twist to the game's fundamental core. This can be seen in the Bloodborne-inspired Steinhardt's Guide To The Eldritch Hunt, Free League adapting Lord of the Rings to the 5e framework, as well as entire independent studios like Hitpoint Press providing adventure modules, maps, and accessories.

This led to speculation that One D&D third-party support would be dropped in favor of promoting material through DM's Guild. This is Wizards' official digital marketplace where creators can make official D&D supplements and material, but the studio receives a 50% cut in exchange.

According to comicbook.com, Wizards have issued an official statement on these concerns. The statement reads as follows:

We will continue to support the thousands of creators making third-party D&D content with the release of One D&D in 2024. While it is certain our Open Game License (OGL) will continue to evolve, just as it has  since its inception, we're too early in the development of One D&D to give more specifics on the OGL or System Reference Document (SRD) at this time.

This official statement does provide some context as to Wizards' current state with One D&D third-party support. This new edition of the game isn't set to release until 2024. That is two years away. The material released so far has been early playtest material. Things are still early with One D&D. In addition, Wizards clearly recognizes the importance of third-party support when it comes to the popularity of their games, as for how their OGL will change going forward, only time will tell.

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Ever since he was small, Tyler Chancey has had a deep, abiding love for video games and a tendency to think and overanalyze everything he enjoyed. This… More about Tyler