In response to player feedback, Dungeons & Dragons has reversed its decision to remove the original 2014 spells and magic items from D&D Beyond with the release of the new 2024 core rulebooks. Initially, the game’s creators intended to replace the old entries with updated versions, but a strong backlash from the community led to a change in plans. Now, players will be able to choose between the new and original content, with the older entries marked with a “Legacy” badge.
This move aligns with D&D’s commitment to backward compatibility and preserves player choice and investment in the game.
Key Takeaways
- D&D reverses its decision to remove 2014 spells and items from D&D Beyond due to player feedback.
- New 2024 core rulebooks are coming with updated character options in D&D Beyond.
- Fans can freely choose between new and original entries, with a Legacy badge to differentiate.
Dungeons and Dragons is reversing its decision to remove the original 2014 spells and magic items from D&D Beyond with the release of its new 2024 core rulebooks. Though it originally intended to replace these D&D Beyond entries, Dungeons and Dragons will be keeping both in response to player feedback.
On September 17, Dungeons and Dragons is releasing its 2024 Player’s Handbook – the first of three new core rulebooks to update 5th Edition for its 10-year anniversary. As its official digital toolset and game companion, D&D Beyond will have all of these new character options added to it, though most of the original 2014 versions will still be available as Legacy content. However, in a recent update, D&D Beyond announced that the old versions of spells and magic items would be overwritten by the new ones and that fans hoping to keep the originals would need to add them as homebrew entries.
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This decision proved to be exceptionally unpopular, with vocal outcry from D&D players and content creators alike. After a few days of criticism, canceled D&D Beyond subscriptions, and memes at Wizards of the Coast’s expense, Dungeons and Dragons announced it heard the feedback loud and clear, and that it would not be overwriting the old spells and magic items. Fans who own both Player’s Handbooks will be able to freely choose the new versions of these entries or the originals, which will be given a Legacy badge to differentiate.
D&D Beyond Won’t Get Rid of Old 5E Spells and Items
While it may seem like replacing these entries with their new versions would be a good thing, there are several reasons fans were upset. Plenty of the changes in the 2024 Player’s Handbook have been great, but others have been less popular, with some spells being simplified or completely changed in ways that not everyone enjoys. Forcing D&D Beyond users to adapt would have gone against the spirit of backwards compatibility that was promised with these new books, and removing products fans have paid for left a bad taste in their mouths – especially since the framework for keeping old content with the Legacy Badge is already being used for old Dungeons and Dragons species, classes, and more.Close
Needless to say, this is a huge win for Dungeons and Dragons fans. While some are annoyed that D&D Beyond was going to remove these entries in the first place, most are happy Wizards of the Coast listened so quickly. Considering Wizards of the Coast has been marred by controversy over AI art, rising product costs, and the Open Game License over the last couple of years, it is good to see it making positive changes in response to community feedback.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
Franchise
Dungeons & Dragons
Original Release Date
1974-00-00
Publisher
Wizards of the Coast
Designer
E. Gary Gygax
, Dave Arneson
