2023: D&D's Promised Triumph Turns to Disappointment
Despite a year filled with successes including a D&D movie, TV channels, and the popular video game Baldur's Gate 3, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) faced significant challenges in 2023. The year began with backlash over plans to overhaul the Open Game License (OGL), which resulted in Wizards of the Coast retracting the new license and maintaining the original. Controversies continued with AI-generated artwork in a sourcebook, manufacturing issues with a supplement, and layoffs of 1,100 staff by parent company Hasbro. These events tarnished what should have been a golden era for D&D, highlighting corporate greed and the disregard for the workers who contributed to the game's success. As D&D looks towards its 50th anniversary and the next edition in 2024, it finds itself at a crossroads.