The future of Dungeons & Dragons and Wizards of the Coast is on a rather turbulent trajectory right now, especially with two recent high-profile departures. Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford have left Wizards of the Coast, both of whom are well-known as the lead designers of the 5th Edition ruleset for Dungeons & Dragons and have worked on the tabletop RPG for more than a decade.
The news came from a Screen Rant exclusive and Jess Lanzillo of Wizards of the Coast, who also serves as the VP of Franchise and Product for Dungeons & Dragons. According to Lanzillo, the brand and company have actually prepared for the eventual departure of the two leads.
Both Jeremy Crawford (Game Director) and Chris Perkins (Creative Director) finished a revised 5th Edition design prior to leaving Wizards of the Coast or Dungeons & Dragons‘ parent company. Both have represented the game well and were even present during promotional videos and advertisements.
“They [Crawford & Perkins] wanted to make sure that [the core rulebooks] were really successful, that they were setting up all of the future leads for success. That has happened, and they feel really reassured that the folks in place will be able to carry on with the wonderful legacy that they’ve given us, and then bring their own stuff to the table, which they’ve already been doing.
It’s one of those things where you finished a major keystone creative project and you do ask yourself, ‘Okay, do I have the next one in me for right now? Do I want to do something a little bit different? I think any creative can identify with that,” reveals Jess Lanzillo, thanks to Screen Rants’ transcripts.
However, it’s also worth noting that there are no direct replacements for the two creative leads behind Dungeons & Dragons, currently. So, despite Lanzillo’s assurance that Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins’ departure was not a corporate machination, the future seems uncertain for the franchise. Perkins, for the record, has been talking about retirement for a while prior to his departure. Crawford’s leaving, on the other hand, has some fans worried.
What’s Next for Dungeons & Dragons?
It just so happens that the 5th Edition revision that Perkins and Crawford finished before they left is none other than One D&D— a major update to the current ruleset. One of the biggest changes to the 5th Edition ruleset this time is that it now has a fully-fledged support for digital platforms and digital play, among other gameplay changes and expansive features.
So while 5th Edition is already more than a decade old, at this point, one really shouldn’t expect a 6th Edition on the horizon, especially with One D&D in place. It could be another five or even ten years before Wizards of the Coast pushes for a new Dungeons & Dragons ruleset to adapt to the changing times.
Still, some fans, particularly those of Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins, were not exactly confident in Dungeons & Dragons‘ future, especially now that it has lost both of its leads. Crawford and Perkins were often regarded as the shepherds of the community, after all. Hence, the two big losses have led to speculation, some of which is negative.
It also appears that most of the original D&D 5th Edition designers are gone from Wizards of the Coast, so new leadership and a change in vision are inbound for the tabletop RPG. And for many, change is rather scary.
“Two big losses but ushering in a new era isn’t a bad idea. Could turn out well with fresh ideas or it could turn into a dumpster fire. Only time will tell,” assumes Redditor Known-Emergency5900
“Chris & Jeremy leave the same month, the entire VTT team got fired overnight. you don’t need to be a fortune teller to tell that things are not looking bright,” warns Redditor scandii
“The timing of their departure was also deliberate, as both waited for the newly revised core rulebooks to come out before leaving the D&D team,” points out Redditor Pika_TheTrashMon_Chu
