Head of D&D Dan Ayoub has gone on record to discuss the knocks Dungeons & Dragons has taken to its reputation over the past few years, and how it’s working to fix those problems.
“Bluntly, we’re recovering from a lot of missteps – very loud, very public missteps,” Ayoub told Wargamer in an enlightening interview on the state of D&D today. “We’re not going to fix it in one year […] I’m very conscious that it’s going to take a lot of time to win back the trust to the extent that I would like.”
Although Ayoub joined D&D after the decisions that upended this industry (like the OGL controversy, the loss of external partners, and major talent abandoning ship), his focus seems to be on reversing those mistakes. First up? Listening to what the community wants, and making sure fans are at the forefront of the game going forward. According to Ayoub, the brand “lost sight of who our audience was” and made the mistake of assuming that “there’s a one-size-fits-all for D&D.” Throughout the interview, he makes a point of reconnecting with the community and listening to fans, consumers, retailers, and more.
A key part of mending that relationship is introducing a community council and bringing back beloved outside voices, as demonstrated by D&D Icons resurrecting Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and more with new books from legendary creators.
While Icons products are a little ways off, we’re returning to the Forgotten Realms soon with a new adventure pitting us against longtime villain Szass Tam (it’s currently just $25 at Amazon).
“I look back on my own memories of when I thought D&D was at its greatest, it was when we had all these other voices. And I know not one voice works for everyone. We can’t make every product we release be for everyone, but everyone should see something for themselves in our roadmap,” Ayoub says during that same chat.
Apparently, there’s plenty more to come; this is “a new direction, a new voice, and a new spirit and energy behind D&D.” Judging by the fan-pleasing slew of announcements for upcoming projects, it certainly seems like that might be the case.
You can find out more via Wargamer’s full, excellent interview.
There’s plenty to get excited about in the world of Dungeons & Dragons; besides the return of the iconic Dark Sun setting, Star Wars is also coming to D&D.
- See all upcoming D&D products at Amazon