How will the new US tariffs impact Dungeons & Dragons?

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The recent implementation of global tariffs by the US government has sent shockwaves through countless industries, including tabletop roleplaying games. Dungeons & Dragons in particular, is likely to be heavily impacted, given its dominance of the TTRPG market through both official and unofficial third-party D&D products.

While there’s still much we don’t know about the tariffs (and much that could change based on the whims of the Trump administration), the potential impact to both publishers and players is likely going to be severe. Below, we break down what to expect.

Tariff Impacts on Wizards of the Coast

As a large multinational corporation, Wizards of the Coast will likely be able to weather the tariffs better than most publishers. It’s also important to note that books, which constitute the majority of official Dungeons & Dragons products, are exempt from tariffs (at least for now). That being said, there are some potential impacts that WotC will need to navigate.

• Increased printing costs: Wizards of the Coast produces most of its books locally, with printers operating in the US, Asia and Europe then shipping to those countries. However, that doesn’t meant that WotC is exempt from the impact of tariffs. In fact, many of these printers source paper from tariffed countries. For example, US printers often buy their paper from Canada. This means that the cost of printing official D&D products, even in the US, could increase dramatically.
• Lost licensing opportunities: While the majority of WotC’s Dungeons & Dragons products are books, the D&D brand is incredibly valuable and is routinely licensed out for use in toys, accessories, clothing and other items. The vast majority of this merchandise is produced outside the United States. This means potentially fewer sources of income for WotC if companies choose not to produce as much D&D merch.
• Less capital from Hasbro: Wizards of the Coast’s parent company Hasbro is likely going to be significantly impacted by tariffs, as most of their toys and merchandise are produced in China and Asia. In fact, in a recent interview, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks said that customers will likely pay significantly more for their products. If Hasbro has less income, it’s possible there will be a trickledown effect, with fewer resources being funnelled to Wizards of the Coast for D&D products.

The bottom line for players both in the US and around the world is that the cost of official Dungeons & Dragons books and accessories is likely to increase.

Tariff Impacts on Third-Party D&D Publishers

While Wizards of the Coast will undoubtedly survive the impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs, the same cannot be said for many of the third-publishers who produces content for Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition under the Open Game License. These publishers, which even before the tariffs had limited resources and razor thin margins, are now facing a range of new challenges. Even mid-sized D&D publishers like Kobold Press, which are more capable of weathering tariffs, have commented on the potentially devestating impact to their business and bottom line.

• Increased printing costs: The popular TTRPG sales platform DMsGuild remains one of the largest sources for third-party D&D content (with Wizards of the Coast getting a cut of each sale in exchange for users being able to license out their official settings). Due to the tariffs, however, DMsGuild recently announced that the cost of print on demand products will increased by as much as 50%. Other publishers are in similar situations when it comes to printing and shipping their products.
• Bankruptcy for smaller publishers: There are a number of smaller publishers around the world producing third-party D&D 5e content who will likely be put out of business due to these tariffs. This is because the margins for producing their books and products are so slim that they simply cannot remain profitable and solvent.
• Layoffs: It’s likely that as costs increase and revenue dries up, publishers will be forced to make cuts. Due to the tariffs, this is something that’s likely on the minds of many third-party D&D producers.
• Kickstarter issues: Many smaller publishers and individuals use Kickstarter to produce D&D 5e products (including books and accessories which are often manufactured overseas). The potential impact of tariffs (particularly when shipping to bakers outside the US) will likely increase the costs across the board, making D&D Kickstarters far more difficult to get off the ground. In fact, it’s likely that we’ll see fewer D&D 5e Kickstarters as a whole while tariffs remain in place.
• Fewer & more expensive accessories: Dungeons & Dragons is more than just books. In fact, there’s an entire economy of associated dice, maps, miniatures, terrain and other products produced by third-party companies. WizKids for example, produces a range of officially licensed D&D products, almost all of which are produced in China. Tariffs are likely to put many of these companies out of businesses, and those who do survive will likely produce fewer products that are also far more expensive.

The bottom line for players both in the US and around the world is that the cost of third-party Dungeons & Dragons books and accessories is likely to increase.

Tariff Impacts on the TTRPG Industry

Beyond Dungeons & Dragons, there are also hundreds of other TTRPGs which are likely to be severely impacted by the new tariffs. In fact, in a recent press release, GAMA (the Game Manufacturers Association) expressed deep concern over the tariffs, warning of devastating consequences for the tabletop industry and the broader US economy and calling them “nothing short of a disaster.” The industry as a whole will also likely see the following.

• Bankruptcy for companies: As with third-party D&D publishers, numerous independent TTRPG companies are likely to go out of business due to the rising costs and razor sharp margins. In fact, in a post on Bluesky, Connor Alexander, creator of the popular Coyote & Crow independent RPG, noted “[The tariffs] will essentially kill my company.”
• Increased costs: In a recent post, Meredith Placko, the CEO of Steve Jackson Games, producer of the popular GURPs roleplaying game, described the tariffs as a “seismic shift” for the industry. Placko highlighted that a game previously manufactured in China for $3 could now cost $4.62 before shipping, potentially increasing the final retail price from $25 to $40. She also noted the lack of domestic infrastructure to support full-scale game production in the US, making it challenging to shift manufacturing domestically.
• Fewer new games: Over the past few years, we’ve seen a number of popular new RPGs explode onto the scene. With tariffs in place it’s likely we’ll see fewer of these titles produced independently or via Kickstarter.

The bottom line for players both in the US and around the world is that the cost of TTRPG books and accessories is likely to increase.

Final Thoughts

The implementation of tariffs by the Trump administration is a direct tax on consumers. It also represents a massive threat to both players of publishers Dungeons & Dragons, as well as the broader tabletop gaming industry as a whole. It remains to be seen, however, how the community will respond.

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

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