What is the DnD Virtual Tabletop? (Everything We Know So Far)

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Back in August of 2022 at the annual D&D Direct event, Wizards of the Coast announced that they were in the process of developing a new DnD Virtual Tabletop (VTT). The platform would be built using the Unreal video game engine and would consist of detailed 3D digital miniatures and environments, while fully integrating with D&D Beyond and the latest DnD 5e rules.

This VTT is also the culmination of larger initiative from Wizards of the Coast to further monetize the D&D Beyond platform, which the company acquired back in April 2022 for a $146 million dollars. It’s also a chance to potentially capture some of the VTT marketshare, which until now has been dominated by brands like Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds, both of whom boast millions of users.

In recent months, however, WotC has been surprisingly quiet about the virtual tabletop project, with some wondering whether it was even going to continue. Now, however, new information is slowly coming to life. So what exactly is the new DnD VTT, how much will it cost and when can we expect it to arrive? Below, we grab our digital dice and delve into all the details.

What is the New DnD VTT?

The new Dungeons & Dragons virtual tabltop is an online digital gaming platform being developed by Wizards of the Coast. Currently in alpha-testing, the VTT is being built using Unreal Engine 5 (which is also used a number of AAA video game titles). The goal of the platform, according to Wizards of the Coast, is to create a highly visual and interactive experience that replicates the feel of in-person gameplay, with characters, monsters and NPCs represented as detailed 3D miniatures, alongside custom terrain and buildings, all of which use dynamic lighting, textures, animations and sound effects.

In a brief blog post posted on D&D Beyond in March 2023, Wizards of the Coast, Director of Digital Game Design Kale Stutzman said that the VTT’s core goals revolve around three main pillars: Fun, Convenience and Authenticity. Essentially this boils down to making the virtual tabletop as close as possible to in-person play as possible, without the hassles typically associated with digital setups and other VTTs.

While there is still much we don’t know about the platform, in a July 2024 interview with Screen Rant to discuss the redesigned black dragon, DnD Art Director Josh Herman mentioned offhandedly that the VTT was being called “Sigil” (n reference to the infamous “City of Doors” from the Planescape setting), although it’s not clear if this is the final name or simply an internal code name for the platform.

Wizards of the Coast has not released any further developer notes on their D&D Beyond blog in several months, which has also lead to further speculation about the status of the VTT.

In an August 2024 post, Wizards of the Coast wrote that “Project Sigil is a 3D sandbox that brings your favorite franchises to life in a fast, fun, and immersive way. Play, create, and share imaginative adventures with friends across platforms from PC, console, and mobile.”

What are the core features of the new DnD VTT?

The new DnD virtual tabletop will shares many of the same core features of existing VTTs, including:

• Multidevice capabilities: The platform will supposedly run on both mobile devices, as well as PCs and potentially even consoles. This is particularly challenging from a development perspective, as running graphically-intensive software on a smartphone or table is not always possible.
• Dungeon Master Controls: The DM will be able to place, hide and remove virtual miniatures into the 3D online environment. Additionally, they’ll be able adjust hit points and stats, add conditions, notes and effects that interact with the game world and DnD core rules.
• Dice Rolls and Automation: As with other VTTs, the platform will automatically calculate savings throws, attacks, damage and stats. Alternatively, the platform also allows for manual rolling using 3D dice models.
• D&D Beyond Integration: Players will be able to assign their characters from D&D Beyond to a mini, which will automatically updates their stats and features for use in the 3D environment. Rules and content purchases on D&D Beyond by both players and DMs will also port over to the VTT (although it’s not yet clear to what extent).
• VFX and Animations: The DnD VTT will also include a variety of in-game effects and animations, such as spells, weather effects and battle damage from a library of digital assets.
• 3D and 2D Maps: While the main draw is using 3D assets, players will also be able to import and utilize 2D maps and play on them with miniatures using a similar format to other VTTs.
• Fifth Edition Rules Compatibility: The VTT will be fully accessible with both the 2014 DnD 5e rules and the updated 2024 DnD 5e rules.

How is the DnD VTT different from Maps?

In September 2023, Wizards of the Coast quietly rolled out a new feature on D&D Beyond called Maps. This is not to be confused with the upcoming DnD VTT. Rather Maps is a simplified, 2D version of more complex VTTs like Roll20. While it does integrate with D&D Beyond adventures, content and characters, Maps also has a fairly basic interface and is more akin to the Owlbear Rodeo VTT (in fact, it may even b more limited). The Maps product is still in Beta testing and only available to Master Tier subscribers on D&D Beyond, but has had a number of new features rolled out.

It’s not clear what will happen to Maps after the DnD VTT is launched or whether Wizards of the Coast will sunset the product, continue to support it or cannibalize for use in the 3D platform.

When is the DnD VTT Release Date?

As of August 2024, the DnD virtual tabletop is now open for Beta testing signup. This means that while some core features and content have been developed, the platform is not yet ready for public release.

That being said, there are signs that the VTT may be coming soon. For example, in June 2024 it was announced that users who pre-order the new 2024 Player’s Handbook are entitled to a variety of bonus digital content, including a 3D mini of the redesigned gold dragon for use with the VTT. Again, while no specific date was included for when this content might be used, it is an encouraging sign for fans hoping to see the VTT sometime in the near future.

How Has the New DnD VTT Been Received by Testers?

At the April 2023 Creator Summit, Wizards of the Coast unveiled an early pre-alpha version of the DnD VTT to a select number of social media influencers and personalities, most of whom viewed the early version of the product favorably (although at the time hands-on play was limited).

In December 2023, the VTT was also showcased for select testers at PAX Unplugged, including to popular DnD influencer Professor Dungeon Master. In a YouTube video shortly afterwards, the professor praised the 3D environments and terrain, which he described as “digital Dwarven Forge” and said that “I think this could open up a new world of high level play the reason why so many campaigns.” He also added that “ultimately I think this will be good for the hobby, especially if you play a VTT because it means that other virtual table tops are going to have to compete.”

In a similar video posted by Ted of the popular YouTube DnD channel Nerd Immersion, he noted that the DnD VTT build he played had “a lot of things working for it. The graphics are nice, the water effects looking great and the ability to spawn in miniatures is cool.” He added that although it still had a long ways to go before being finished, the DnD VTT had “a lot of potential.” Although Ted did question some of the limited features and the potential cost involved.

It’s a similar sentiment shared by Stephen Glicker in a video posted on the Roll for Combat YouTube channel who also playtested what he described as “an open-closed Beta” version of the DnD virtual tabletop. In that video, Glicker was mostly positive, particularly praising the UX which he described as “very streamlined… this isn’t Foundry this isn’t even Roll 20. Like there’s not a million buttons. It’s all within one bar and it’s really solid.”

PCGamer also tested out the platform in March 2023 and noted that “Visually, D&D Virtual Tabletop tries to splits the difference between videogame and pen and paper representation. DMs can do things to take advantage of the digital space like change the weather to make the environment more gloomy when a monster shows up. Since checks can be done manually, they can change the rules on the fly like they might during an in-person session, fudging that 31 foot charge or letting your barbarian swing from the chandelier.”

How Much Will the New DnD VTT Cost?

Pricing for the new DnD VTT has not yet been revealed, although Wizards of the Coast has indicated that there will be a free component to the platform, allowing players to try it out without any initial cost. It’s also not clear if the new virtual tabletop will feature micro transactions, something which some fans are concerned about, worrying that adding new spells or skins could add up.

There’s good reason for this concern, given that Wizards of the Coast’s former CEO Cynthia Williams once famously quipped that the brand was “really under-monetized,” while Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks also spoke of creating a DnD that could tap into “the type of recurrent spending you see in digital games.”

The investment in such a platform is substantial, so it seems likely that Wizards of the Coast (and Hasbro shareholders in particular) will want to see a return on investment.

How Does the New DnD VTT Compare to Other Platforms?

The DnD VTT will be enteing a market with several established competitors, including Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, Foundry and Shard. These platforms are incredibly popular among DnD players, with Roll20 alone in particular boasting over 12 million current users.

Most of the major VTTs also boast a range of features that will be similar to the DnD virtual tabletop, including map tools, character sheets and automation for combat and spellcasting. All of the major platforms also integrate fully with DnD 5e rules having inked licensing deals with Wizards of the Coast or operating under the OGL license.

The DnD VTT, however, will set itself apart in a few key ways. First, its advanced 3D graphics are unlike the top down 2D maps and tokens featured in popular VTTs. Second, the VTT will integrate with D&D Beyond, which remains incredibly popular as a marketplace and character management platform (other VTTs pay for this privilege or are forced to use third-party tools).

Finally, Wizards of the Coast VTT has something no other virtual tabletop does: the Dungeons & Dragons license. Because despite the many VTTs in operation, DnD remains the most popular tabletop roleplaying game, commanding a massive market share. This means the VTT can release exclusive content and promote the license in a way that other VTTs simply can’t. It also means they’ll likely have significantly more money to invest in new features and quality of life improvements than other VTTs.

Final Thoughts

The upcoming DnD virtual tabletop, represents a significant leap forward for the world’s most popular game. With its promise of an immersive 3D environment, intuitive design, and seamless integration with D&D Beyond, it’s has the potential to connect remote players together and even reshape in-person play.

That being said, while we have learned more since Wizards of the Coast first announced the product in 2022, there’s still a lot of unanswered questions. We don’t know how much it will cost, if it will support other games or third-party DnD 5e materials, or if it will include microtransactions.

One thing is clear however: when the DnD VTT hits, for better or worse, the game is likely never going to be same again.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this story in the days ahead and will update this page with information as it’s made available. In the meantime, below is also from that official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel that was originally released back in 2023 showcasing the new DnD Virtual Tabletop in action.

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