D&D will release its 2024 ruleset under a Creative Commons licence

Wizards of the Coast has announced that the upcoming 2024 ruleset for Dungeons & Dragons will be released under a Creative Commons licence, specifically CC-BY-4.0. This decision follows a year of backlash against the company's attempts to modify the Open Gaming License (OGL), which many players feared would restrict access to D&D content. The new System Reference Document (SRD 5.2) will compile updated core material from the 2024 editions of the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual, including class features and rules expressions, while excluding trademarked content. The SRD 5.2 is set to be published shortly after the release of the 2025 Monster Manual in February 2025, with the intention of providing a complete document for creators. This move is seen as a way to foster a more open environment for third-party creators, allowing them to publish compatible game material across various platforms, while content that directly references Wizards' intellectual property will still need to be distributed through the DMs Guild. The previous SRD 5.1, released in 2016, will remain available for use in independent projects. Wizards is also reviewing older SRDs for past D&D editions but does not anticipate significant progress until after the 2024 updates are finalized. Overall, this shift indicates a commitment to a more collaborative approach within the D&D community.