Alas, not in a good way.
Disclaimer 1: This is going to be a bit of a conspiratorial hot take. Monstober will resume tomorrow.
Disclaimer 2: I’m pro LGBTQIA++. Nothing I say here is intended to sound contrary to this.
Disclaimer 3: This is the Internet. Please use your discernment when viewing this or any other art.
Aaand… we fell for it again.
I logged into X (Twitter) today and ran across this post from our old pals at Wizards of the Coast Dungeons & Dragons. My first thought was: why is there a happy little beholder in this picture?
Then it dawned on me. The color scheme, the presumably gay/lesbian couples, revelry everywhere- WotC must be doing some kind of Pride post. But it was already too late to stop the hundreds of comments from both sides of the political fence from flying. I have to admit; there is a lot of good commentary and some hilarious memes coming from this thread.
There’s also a string of bigoted behavior surrounding this piece of art, and it’s disgusting. Personally, I literally do not care what you do in the bedroom or how you feel about other people romantically. No offense, I just don’t see any need to inflict my beliefs on anyone beyond be peaceful, do no harm.
It’s all about the optics of the thing.
WotC knew exactly what they were doing when they made this post on X (Twitter.) The funny thing about it is the same post appeared on Facebook with a lot more open context. There was even a post about the Magic: the Gathering trans pride offer down below on X that was much clearer about what they were trying to do.
I think they knew the conservatives; the old Grognard crowd; all of us old, fat, bald, (presumably Cishet) guys from the Midwest flyover states; were all going to take the bait and rage over this post. They can play if off like it was all an accident now that they’re getting heaps of attention (that they don’t deserve.) They’ve fired up the outrage mill and it’s not just going to go away, but it’s a mistake thinking that all attention is positive attention. Some of these guys are getting scary mad on X (Twitter.)
We’re all watching, and I bet I know what’s coming next.
“You’re all a bunch of bigots!”
They successfully poisoned the well and set up their sticking points at the same time. If you’re critical of this art or D&D at this point, you’re obviously the problem in their eyes. It’s like someone at WotC wanted to be able to cry wolf five minutes after this post got out. This is rage bait, pure and simple.
This art tells the story of how WotC likes to add virtue signaling to their game, their social media, and their advertising. It’s ridiculous and I think it’s going to end up costing them in the long run. D&D is no longer a cool roleplaying game, they’re telling everyone, including children, it’s some sort of homoerotic romantasy thing.
Sorry, but not this time. They just lost any hope of me buying their products again until they turn their attitudes around a little. If doing D&D content is what it takes to be popular on YouTube or social media, I guess I’m going to have to live with being unpopular. Oh well.
If this was someone’s initial introduction to D&D, what kind of message does it send? D&D was once a game about exploring dungeons and battling dragons. Now it’s about being gay in a world where everyone gets along and nothing bad ever happens? Where’s the adventure?
I’m all for trans and LGB charities. Awesome. Yay WotC for doing that. Great. Support charities.
Tying your Magic card and D&D sales to a charity? Cool. Was this the best marketing strategy on a largely conservative social media platform? Aw hell no!
But as a parent? This artwork would be concerning where I’m from. I know I’m surrounded by church ladies and MAGAs. This kind of thing is worse than the Satanic Panic to those folks. This is going way beyond the “If you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” narrative of yesteryear.
I’m not worried about what my kids do in terms of what game they play. (Dragonbane, preferably, but D&D is okay.) I don’t have a problem with this social media post or the art. But I will bet money that it’s going to start the rumor that D&D is, “that gay game” based on this art. But it sounds homophobic to say that, probably because I live in a homophobic state with my LGBTQ family members and I know what our neighbors are like.
People assume a lot about me based on my appearance. Only they’re usually wrong. I didn’t vote MAGA. My side lost the election and now we’re all suffering for it.
America is the land of the free as long as you’re not appearing homeless, addicted or mentally ill (and remember with these people being LGBTQIA or having Autism counts as mentally ill.) We have armed troops active in our own cities as part of a “cleanup effort.” It’s Make America Germany 1933 Again. Any day now we’re going to start hearing about the camps.
The problem is D&D has gone off the rails in terms of being a game.
This is what happens when game companies focus their product on their sociopolitical and cultural stance than on just making a good product at a reasonable price. This is what happens when the “world’s most popular/well-known RPG” decides to dictate what their audience is going to be instead of selling the game to everyone regardless of race, gender, political affiliation, what they do in bed, and so on.
Wizards of the Coast is trying desperately to define their audience in very specific, narrow demographics instead of “people with money who want to play fantasy roleplaying games.” I think it’s ridiculous. This piece of art sends a message that sounds to me like, “We hate all you old, straight white guys. Go away.”
We’ve gone full circle from “D&D is for everyone” to “D&D is just for this one specific crowd” in terms of their narrative. Yes, we need as many fresh faces in the hobby as possible in order for it to survive. It should not matter what the person looks like or what their political ideology is so long as they DO NO HARM!
You don’t see some of the most popular TTRPG companies in the world pulling publicity stunts on social media like this one.
Free League? Nope.
Chaosium? Nope.
Modiphius? Nope.
Troll Lord Games? Nope.
I can do this all day with various companies, just not WotC, Paizo, and other D&D affiliates.
Why? Because they want to do business, not push their agenda down our throats. And no, I’m not complaining that “WotC is woke” or whatever you want to call it. It would be real easy to demonize me and anyone who looks like me for using that word, “woke.” I don’t care what your damned agenda is. Stop cramming it down my throat every chance you get and go back to focusing on D&D.
Where’s the game in any of this?
“In this realm, the story is yours to tell.”
A bunch of happy people and monsters dancing, frolicking and kissing in the orchard does not make for a roleplaying adventure. What’s the epic quest here? What’s heroic about this image? Why would I want to go adventuring in this world if we’re all so happy. As far as I can tell, the story is pretty short and disgustingly saccharine.
I think I need insulin with all the syrupy sweetness. Even the beholder is qute. (That’s emphasis on the CUuute!) Some of the funnier AI memes have depicted the whole scene on fire with demons, dragons, or Vikings running amok everywhere. Funny, within a certain context. (That’s what happens when bitter Grognards get to play with Grok.) Probably instantly mistaken for being transphobic by others.
The point has been made by several people and bears repeating here. Old D&D artwork used to invoke a sense of adventure. There were thieves looting a gem from a statue during some sort of ritual. There was a dragon swooping down, presumably to eat a fighter with a sword. There was a wizard attempting to ensorcel some creature. There was never a happy fun-fun party with tacos, pizza, and a full coffee bar on the cover of a game book until 5E came along.
Gary Gygax is probably rolling over in his grave so fast that the earth above it is beginning to cook. Dungeons & Dragons did not get where it is today by social media statements. They got where they are today because they made three core rulebooks, settings, adventures using the system, and support from magazines, conventions etc. People bought the game because it was FUN! The company focused on game mechanics and epic stories.
Make no mistake, I do not care what WotC’s corporate culture is like. I don’t care what Makenzie DeArmas thinks about much of anything ever. We already know what I think of Jason Tondro. It does not matter in the slightest. (Although as an editor or manager, I’d make sure to find special projects for them and assign someone to watch Makenzie, so she doesn’t wander anywhere near a microphone.)
Someday someone at Hasbro or WotC is going to figure out how the actual f*cking Hell public relations works. My guess is a new edition of D&D will be announced shortly after this revelation followed by an immediate discontinuation of the entire current product line. But right now WotC just isn’t getting it done and we have flare-ups on social media like we had yesterday.
I could run the D&D franchise right now, no problem.
I’ve already said they can put me in charge of D&D anytime. (Arrogant though that might sound.) I or anyone with an ounce of common sense could straighten that company out within a year and be making money again as opposed to leaning so heavily on Magic: the Gathering and video games. Right now it’s like they’re trying to fail on purpose. We’ve all seen it.
I don’t care if you’re trans, gay, disabled, neurodivergent, conservative, purple, or whatever as long as you can write good game products, produce quality art, or edit the whole thing together so that it looks nice on the page. The current WotC leadership is all over the place again. Just go back to the roots of make a quality product at a fair price.
Alternatively they’re just getting everyone stirred up again to draw attention to their next product release. There is a fine line between mastermind and complete stooge. WotC somehow manages to look like either one on any given day. I’m still convinced their leadership consists of Cobra Commander and Starscream among others. It’s hard to distinguish their idiocy from sheer malevolent intent most days. I wish I was kidding about all this.
What to do?
No joke, I had all three core rulebooks in my hand the other day and was walking toward the register of my FLGS the other day. I was going to pull the trigger and start making D&D content for YouTube and possibly for publication. But then I noticed they had the Outgunned sourcebooks on hand along with Land of Eem, two games I’m currently fascinated with. So the D&D books went back on the shelf and I asked the nice man behind the counter if he could order Outgunned core rules for me.
I know all the hardcore right wingnuts on X (Twitter) have popped off. I’ve probably been blocked by a few of them. (Oh well.) They’re talking about boycotting WotC. One gent went off on WotC’s support of trans kids, basically accusing them of encouraging p***philia. I haven’t been on in a few hours to see how much farther it’s gone. There are tons of cute kitten pics on Instagram, and I can look at cats all day.
As a liberal-minded individual who believes in the Constitution of the United States as well as LGBTQIA++, disabled, neurodivergent, and BIMPOC rights, I still think this piece of art, this whole post on X(Twitter,) was completely unnecessary. There was not enough context to prevent what would inevitably become a scandal and WotC knew it.
Instead, we got played. ALL of us got played by WotC on this one. Now we’re polarized, angry, shouting, and separated more than ever before. But WotC got what they wanted, which was people yelling about their brand. We’re damned if we speak up, damned if we let it go by unchallenged.
At least the DungeonTubers all have something new to cry about.
I’m going back to hide in my secret bunker, formerly an underground nuclear missile silo somewhere under a cornfield for the foreseeable future. I guess my supervillain arc has begun officially. Our big D.U.M.B. tunnel to Fresno, NV is underway. I give up on this one. Good job, WotC. You made fools out of everyone who sounded off, including me.
Thank you for being here with me today. I appreciate you. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy in your life.
Jeff's Game Box 