A Marketing Lesson on Hasbro’s 2023 OGL 1.1 DISASTER…

This is going to be a quick post.

Let me start with a brief summary:

• In early January 2023, a leaked internal document detailed Hasbro’s plan to update their Open Gaming License (OGL1.1)

• Most notably, it included these three changes:

1. Wizards of the Coast claimed ultimate ownership of any 3rd party 5e content

2. Any 5e published content that was sold would be forced to pay a 25% royalty

3. Wizards of the Coast reserved the right to change the OGL at any time

• There was overwhelming and widespread backlash from the D&D 5e community, and many canceled their subscriptions to anything associated with WOTC

• WOTC apologized and attempted to release a mollified version… which only enraged the community further

• Our TTRPG nerd mob was not satisfied.

• Within two weeks, Hasbro backtracked, saying it would not change the O.G.L.

Long story short, O.G.L 1.1 basically said:

“Anything you made or make is ours and not only do we not have to compensate you for your hard work, but you have to compensate us.”

One redditor put it well by calling it a “cease and desist” order for ALL D&D content creators.

Now, I am not going to point fingers at who is responsible… whether that be the CEO, marketing, the board… whoever… because I do not know.

I am not an investigative reporter; I have not “gotten to the bottom of this”.

(Also, it kinda doesn’t matter who started it. It matters that lots of people failed to stop it).

But what I do know is that the consequences were DISASTEROUS

Since the OGL1.1 debacle, many of their most devoted fans have begun to explore other TTRPGs. Content creators have begun to cover other TTRPGS. Even D&D giants like Matt Coleville and Critical Role chose to release their own TTRPGs rather than continue to play 5e and use Dungeons and Dragon’s lore.

2025 UPDATE: It got so bad that they even cancelled their VTT, which is WILD.

This is nightmare fuel for a brand that had:

1. Exploded in popularity since the release of 5e

2. Dominated the TTRPG space as a mini-monopoly for decades

3. Gone mainstream in pop culture

4. Brought hundreds of thousands into the new hobby

5. Insilled brand loyalty in all these new customers.

And what did they do with their dream-come-true market position?

They squandered it.

They gave their hordes of new fans an excuse to leave and play a competitors TTRPG.

And while you may never have an opportunity to royally screw up like Hasbro…

You can still learn from their mistake.

KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE!

KNOW WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE!

KNOW WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT AND WANT!

A target audience is the specific group of people you want to reach with your marketing efforts:

• They are already interested in your industry

• They have purchased tabletop games before

• They share your values and respect your vision

• They have desires/needs that your product/service meets

• They have expressed frustration with the alternatives

When you make something, you’re happy if anyone buys it. But if you try to advertise to everyone, your message won’t resonate with anyone.

So you target a specific group… your target audience… and focus all your strategy and marketing around that group.

Translation: woo your target audience. And don’t piss them off!

Hasbro demonstrated with O.G.L. 1.1 exactly what NOT to do.And they also demonstrated that they know nothing about their target audience.

Here are four things that define the D&D 5e customer base.

1. They are rule followers who constantly read the fine print

2. They play something that stresses cooperation with others in the community

3. Inspiring creativity and expressing it is paramount

4. Ultimately, the rules are not necessary… you can homebrew whatever you want.

This is the LAST group of people that you could sneak an industry-shifting legal change by!

The 5e community read the fine print and found the legal problems, was horrified that WOTC planned to further alienate the creative and helpful content creators out there, and immediately began to explore other rule systems.

WOTC could not shoot themselves in the foot better if they tried!!!

It is a great cautionary tale of why you, as a tabletop games maker, NEED to intimately understand the specific value you offer your customer base.

So when you are thinking about marketing your board game, or TTRPG, or war game, or trading card game…

You need to do a TON of demographic research.

You should be able to make an educated guess on what they wear, what their weeks look like, and what they think about when they walk alone through a park.

This awareness will inform ALL of your marketing: everything from overarching strategy to everyday copywriting.

Know them as intimately as possible.

Understand why they like your product and not other stuff. Do not make assumptions. And take active steps to know them more.

Because I am sure someone high up at Hasbro thought O.G.L was a brilliant and sure-fire way to increase profits. And that person clearly knew nothing about what makes these customers different. And as a result they look like a grade-A FOOL.

I Can Help You Find Your Target Audience

And Strategize Messaging

That Persuades Them to Back and Buy