Wizards of the Coast to Create New “D&D Advisory Group”

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The past few years have seen Wizards of the Coast face some serious backlash from Dungeons & Dragons fans. This often contentious relationship started with the OGL scandal in 2022 and has been further enflamed by accusations of AI generated art, a number of poorly received products and the layoffs of key D&D personnel.

In recent months, however, WotC has been making serious efforts to mend fences with fans and creators. They’ve released the SRD 5.2 for the new D&D 2024 rules, introduced a wide range of third-party content on D&D Beyond and been more open with fans in regards to how the brand is being managed.

More recently, the company has also announced that they’ll be forming a new Dungeons & Dragons “advisory group” designed to provide feedback to their team on the overall direction of the brand. So just what does this for the future of D&D and will WotC actually listen? Below, we break out everything we know so far.

What is the new D&D Advisory Group?

So far we don’t know exactly how the new D&D advisory group will function, how members will be selected or when it will come into existence. In a post on D&D Beyond, Dan Ayoub (D&D’s recently promoted VP of Franchise) writes:

We’re laying the groundwork for a new initiative that will bring community voices directly into the room. Our goal is to create a rotating advisory group made up of creators, publishers, educators, and fans who can help us shape future tools, policies, and content in a real, ongoing way.

We’re still finalizing the structure and process, but our intention is clear: this isn’t a one-time survey or a PR move. It’s about building lasting collaboration with the people who make D&D what it is.

More details to come, but we are also developing a creator spotlighting program that will highlight third-party creations across our official channels. If you’re making something incredible, the world should see it.

At D&D, we understand that the community is the beating heart of the game we all love, and we want it to thrive so more people can experience adventures with their friends and family.We’ve stumbled before. We’ve learned from it. And now, we’re committed to clearer communication, more transparency, and consistent support—for players, creators, and publishers.

Has Wizard of the Coast run D&D Advisory Groups in the past?

The closest we’ve come to this kind of advisory group was the D&D Creator Summit which was held online and in-person in April 2023 at Wizards of the Coast’s headquarters in Renton, Washington. The event featured a select group of almost 100 influential D&D YouTubers, bloggers, third-party publishers and social media pundits. The goal of the summit was to connect with these creators and answer concerns in the wake of the OGL.

Notably, attendees to the summit were not required to sign a non-disclosure agreement prior to attending the event, and the entire summit took place in a little under 9 hours (including breaks), with presentations and Q&A from a variety of highly-placed Wizards of the Coast employees and Dungeons & Dragons team members.

Final Thoughts

In the wake of the OGL scandal and a few other missteps, Wizards of the Coast has been genuinely making some concerted efforts to try and connect with D&D fans. The question now is if it’s too little, too late and if a new advisory group will actually be able to effect the kind of change players are looking for.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on this story in the days ahead and will be updating this page with new information as it’s made available.

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