Wizards of the Coast tried to rewrite D&D's Open Game License, then reversed in weeks

Fortune reported in January 2023 that Wizards of the Coast, the Hasbro-owned publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, had tried to take back control of its Open Game License (OGL), which since 2000 let third parties use D&D content free. A leaked draft reported by io9 would have revoked all earlier agreements, limited creators largely to tabletop games, required an 'irrevocable' licence over their works, and charged royalties to the most successful.

Independent publishers said they would walk away. Paizo, maker of Pathfinder, said it had 'no interest whatsoever' in the new agreement and planned its own 'open, perpetual, and irrevocable' licence. Fans threatened to boycott the film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. On 14 January the D&D Beyond team said 'we rolled a 1', which did not calm anger; on 18 January executive director Kyle Brink wrote 'We are sorry. We got it wrong.'

On 19 January Wizards backtracked. A new draft dropped royalties, financial reporting and revocation of previously approved content, and the core D&D mechanics were released under a Creative Commons licence, a 'decision we can never change'. Hasbro shares fell 4.1% that Thursday, though Fortune noted they were already down 37.3% over the year.

Weeks of fan and publisher backlash, boycott threats, a public apology and a reversal; Hasbro shares fell 4.1% on the day Wizards backed down.

Wizards sought to regain control of a decades-old open licence, and the leaked draft would have revoked all earlier OGL agreements.

It would have taxed successful creators with royalties and demanded an 'irrevocable' licence over their works.

The company first explained the reasoning poorly and stayed silent, then offered a half-hearted acknowledgement that fans rejected.

Hasbro was already under pressure: it had cut its 2022 revenue forecast and faced fan complaints about overprinting Magic cards.

Revoking a decades-old open licence that a community built on destroys trust faster than any royalty can repay; test changes with partners before leaks.

Wizards released the core mechanics under a Creative Commons licence and ran a two-week survey on a revised OGL. Brink promised more transparency about any future changes and said the new licence would carry no royalties and would not affect ownership. Fortune added that Wizards had reportedly cancelled several video game projects earlier in January.