D&D Heading Back to Brazil With New Partnership
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Wizards of the Coast has recently announced a new partnership with Galápagos Jugos, a Brazilian-based game company and subsidiary of board game and RPG distributor Asmodee. Galápagos will now translate and distribute D&D products in Brazil, including the new 2024 rules set.
The deal walks back a major decision from Wizards of the Coast, who had previously announced in February 2024 that they would no longer be distributing D&D or Magic: The Gathering products in Brazil. That move resulted in a severe online backlash from Brazilian fans, many of whom were then forced to rely on English translations of new releases, rather than being able to use them in their native Portuguese.
So just what does this new deal mean for the future of D&D in Brazil? Below, we break out all the details.
Who is Galapagos Jugos?
Galápagos Jugos is a well-known Brazilian publisher and distributor of board games and TTRPGs. Originally founded in 2009, the company operates as both a local publisher (often releasing titles from Brazilian designers and its own creative team) as well as being a distributor of popular international games.
In 2018, the company was purchased by the international game publisher Asmodee which allowed the company to distribute an even larger selection products, including TTRPGs such as Avatar Legends and World of Darkness. This relationship with Asmodee (who itself has a significant selection of international TTRPG products) is likely why Galápagos was selected as a partner by Wizards of the Coast for new D&D translations and distribution in Brazil.
What Brazilian D&D products will Galápagos be supporting?
So far it’s not entirely clear what specific D&D titles Galápagos will be supporting, although Wizards of the Coast has confirmed that it will be involved in the new 2024 rules. On a post on Twitter/X, D&D Executive Producer Greg Bisland simply stated that “we are bring Dungeons & Dragons back to Brazil,” while mentioning the new partnership.
In an official press release (later translated into English from Brazilian Portuguese), Galápagos wrote:
Dungeons & Dragons , and Wizards of the Coast continues to work with partners to bring localized versions of D&D to all fans. Having content in your own language makes all the difference. Today we announced that we are the newest distribution partner, working directly with Wizards of the Coast to bring D&D to fans in Brazil. D&D is a globally recognized name, and we want to share it with as many fans as possible—this is another step in that direction. The entire team is dedicated to making even more localized versions available in the future.
How popular is D&D in Brazil?
Dungeons & Dragons first arrived in Brazil in the mid 1980s, when imported copies circulated through small groups of dedicated fans, often in photocopied or unofficial translations. The official Brazilian release came in the 1994 via the company Grow Jogos e Brinquedos with the game later picked up for distribution by Devir. Conventions like the Encontro Internacional de RPG (once one of the largest RPG gatherings in the world) and magazines such as Dragão Brasil further helped grow the game in Brazil throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
Today, D&D remains incredibly popular in Brazil, although it now shares the stage with other TTRPGs, most notably Tormenta, which remains one of the country’s most popular games (and is even available via Roll20). While D&D 5e was largely supported in Brazil from 2014 onwards, Wizards of the Coast briefly halted Portuguese-language D&D released in late 2024, leading to a general backlash among the Brazilian fan community which likely stymied growth. It remains to be seen if D&D’s popularity will grow with Galápagos/Asmodee relaunching the game with the new 2024 rules.
Final Thoughts
While Dungeons & Dragons is often seen as an American game, the fact is it has a massive global reach. In recent years Wizards of the Coast who has been looking to increase this reach with new localized products (such as a recent Japanese one shot adventure) and a focus on more international translations of the 2024 rules.
It remains to be seen, however, just what the new relationship with Galápagos/Asmodee will mean for Brazilian players.
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