Digital platform D&D Beyond shared a reflective update on December 8, promising changes to both the website and its philosophy in the coming year. D&D’s new executive producer, Brian Perry, lists a number of quality-of-life tweaks coming to the platform. He also admits “In the past, we haven’t been clear about our mission or priorities-or shown up to the table to talk with you, our players”. “That’s going to change.”
These days, Wizards of the Coast often appears to take on a humbler tone when discussing plans with its fans. The RPG publisher seems all too aware that consumer trust is on fragile ground. Presumably, this apologetic, humanizing mode of address is at least partly down to the major backlash D&D faced over the OGL changes proposed in 2023. This major event was almost three years ago now, but it still haunts the game – and, apparently, those in charge of making it.
D&D Beyond will kick off its efforts to communicate more with an AMA in the r/dndnext Reddit at 4pm PT (12am BST / 7pm ET) on December 9. That’ll be with Perry himself. D&D’s new principal product manager, Zac Cohn, will also announce a tête-à-tête soon to discuss “what would help Dungeon Masters with prepping and running their games”. The D&DBeyond post also says that the team plans to communicate with users “at least once a month” going forward.
As for planned changes to D&DBeyond, the next one will be a homepage overhaul coming December 11. “We plan to launch a new homepage experience that keeps everything current players need while providing a better welcome to newer players”, Perry says. “Behind the scenes, it uses a more modular tech foundation so we can make improvements more quickly and responsively.”
By December 17, users will be able to sort their library of sourcebooks in custom ways, for example by favoriting frequently used titles. By this time, D&D Beyond’s Maps VTT will include extra tools for revealing art and handouts to players.
That’s all for 2025, but 2026 promises a rebuilt 3D dice-rolling engine for Maps, as well as a “searchable encyclopedia” that functions as a rules reference assistant in the VTT. A “campaign console” is also on the way, but there’s no date associated with its launch.
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