D&D Beyond is turning D&D into a live-service game

Dungeons & Dragons is drifting toward a digital-first future — and not everyone is thrilled about it.

Between D&D Beyond’s growing importance, talk of subscriptions, and Hasbro openly positioning the brand as a digital platform, some fans are starting to worry the world’s biggest tabletop RPG is turning into something closer to a live-service game. Along with the recently announced seasonal model for product releases, this has led to some catastrophic predictions about the future of the game. Multiple content creators have claimed that D&D as we know it may already be dead.

Prominent figures who established the brand’s success during the 5th edition era all left the company in recent years. After the 5th edition’s major update in 2024, D&D felt like it was struggling to chart a new course. Since Wizards of the Coast’s senior VP for digital games, Dan Ayoub, took the reins of D&D in July 2025, he refocused on a community-first approach for the game, trying to mend some fences with disgruntled fans.

The involvement of famous creators and public figures who carry a lot of goodwill among the community, like Joe Manganiello and Luke Gygax, has been met with positivity. However, many fans and some prominent D&D content creators are also pointing out that the game seems to be shifting dangerously close to a “subscription model” focused on the digital side of the product, which would match Ayoub’s expertise.

Some of these fears may seem exaggerated, but there’s at least some truth to them, especially when it concerns D&D Beyond. Wizards of the Coast has become more generous when it comes to accepting third-party content on its digital platform. The proliferation of AI-generated products on marketplaces such as DrivethruRPG and DMsGuild has hurt small, independent publishers who often see their offerings buried in a sea of AI slop. Wizards of the Coast is, in theory, offering a better alternative by bringing many of these creators to D&D Beyond. That includes longtime D&D rivals Paizo and Chaosium, who now have “D&D-fied” versions of their games, Pathfinder and Call of Cthulhu, on the platform.

However, the fact remains that purchasing digital products on D&D Beyond doesn’t mean you own them in the traditional sense. What you are buying is a digital license to access them, which can be revoked at any time if the account is terminated, as clearly stated in the General Terms. This applies to D&D-official and third-party products. This is a worrying prospect, made worse by recent statements by Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks, who said during the Q4 2025 earnings call that D&D “advanced our evolution to a digital-first play and IP company.” Along with Cocks’ 2023 statement that “the underlying thesis of our D&D business is all about digital,” and his frequent endorsement of AI tools to support the gaming experience, it’s understandable that many fans are worried about D&D becoming more like Fortnite than they’d like.

If Dan Ayoub’s recent reassurance during a press conference at Gary Con 2026 that “face-to-face physical play is always going to be part of D&D” is not enough to assuage your fears, then let me tell you something: Even if D&D becomes a live-service game, your table doesn’t need to. D&D Beyond can be a useful tool, but it’s in no way essential or even needed to enjoy the world’s most famous RPG. There are plenty of physical copies of books to buy, from every edition of the game — if you don’t have a stacked library already. If you prefer reading on a screen, you can still purchase fully-owned digital versions on sites like DriveThruRPGs (it’s easier to dodge the AI slop if you know what you’re looking for).

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

What about those who can’t play in person? In that case, Maps, D&D’s official VTT, is far from the only one available. Roll20 is a famous, tried-and-true option that allows you to run games and access all the resources you need, but if you are averse to subscription models like I am, then you could try the excellent Foundry, which offers a one-time purchase and no feature gating.

Playing D&D online has become an increasingly important part of the game. While I am a hardcore in-person guy, I understand that not everyone has the opportunity to meet regularly face-to-face to play D&D. However, that doesn’t mean the entire experience has to be governed by digital tools owned by the same company. You could play D&D on Skype (it still exists, right?) if you wanted. (Just trust your pals with their dice rolls!) Or you can mix and match digital and physical tools based on your needs and preferences. The bottom line is that this is a TTRPG that you can play however you like.

I will keep buying D&D (and other RPGs) in physical form as long as I can. Owning the product is part of the experience, and it’s one of the reasons why I’m a bit worried about Wizards’ increasing focus on D&D Beyond. For the same reason, it’s important to keep trying to meet in-person to play, even if it requires sacrifices sometimes. Building and fostering a community, no matter how small, is the best defense against whatever corporate shenanigans might happen in the future. Traditional D&D might be dying, but not at my table.