New DnD Preorders to Feature Video Game-Style Extras
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It’s no secret that Wizards of the Coast has been looking for new ways to cash in on Dungeons & Dragons, with the company’s former CEO Cynthia Williams infamously quipping that the brand was “really under-monetized” compared to video games, and Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks once lamenting that DnD was unable to tap into “the type of recurrent spending you see in digital games.”
Now, WotC appears to be true to their word, releasing a slew of DLC-style content via D&D Beyond to go with preorders of the various bundles of the 2024 Core Books. It’s a move that’s pulled straight out of the video game marketing playbook, so much so that the company even released a chart that breaks down the various purchase options and the associated digital loot (a table that will be familiar to anyone even remotely familiar with the video game industry).
The three pre-order tiers of the new 2024 DnD books are as follows:
- Digital Player’s Handbook (retailing for $29.99 USD)
- Digital & Print Player’s Handbook (retailing for $79.98 USD)
- Core Rule Books Physical & Print Bundle (retailing for $179.97 USD)
All three of the bundles come with a number of digital extras for use on D&D Beyond, including virtual dice, frames, backdrops, a digital artbook and a gold dragon digital miniature for the upcoming DnD virtual tabletop.
If you pre-order, you’ll also be able to get early access to the digital version of the content, although this is based on your D&D Beyond subscription tier. If you’re a Master Tier subscriber you’ll be able to view the content two weeks before it’s released to the general public, while if you’re a Hero Tier subscriber you’re able to get it one week before release.
Notably, if you’re planning on only getting a physical copy from your friendly local shop, you’ll also likely be able to get early access if you pre-order through them (although you’ll want to check with your local retailer to confirm).
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to imagine that any of these digital extras are likely to entice fans to pull the trigger on a pre-order, although it is admirable that Wizards of the Coast is including them. And while some fans and publishers have been skeptical or even outright hostile towards this approach to DLC, it could be a good thing if Wizards of the Coast actually releases meaningful content that genuinely improves the gameplay experience. Unfortunately, that might be asking for more than WotC is capable of, given some of their recent changes to the D&D Beyond Marketplace.
What is clear is that DnD fans will likely see more of these kinds of digital marketing efforts in the coming months as the 2024 update of DnD 5e roles out and WotC continues to try slay the dragon of undermonetization.
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Paige Stuart is a Staff Writer who lives in Chicago, Illinois where she majored in English Literature at Northwestern University. She’s relatively new to Dungeons & Dragons having started playing 5th edition several years ago. Her favorite D&D campaign setting so far is the Forgotten Realms and her favorite character to play is a Wizard named Felician who hurls both bad puns and fireballs with equal ease.
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