Dungeons & Dragons VTT previews Unreal Engine 5 features

On the D&D Beyond website, D&D virtual tabletop Game Director Kale Stutzman provided an overview of the design goals and choices in developing the D&D VTT:

When I first set out to pitch this product with a very small internal team, it was driven by my experiences as a longtime D&D player in a world where getting together in person was harder than it used to be. We wanted a virtual space where we could gather our friends wherever they were—on a computer, phone, console, or even in the same room—and play the game we all love. To do this effectively, this experience needed to satisfy three core criteria: It had to be Fun, like playing in person, it had to be Convenient for both Dungeon Masters and players, and it had to be Authentic to the rules and how people play the game. Using these keywords as our North Star, we started work on an immersive experience while trying to solve the real-world problems our players were having with learning how to play, connecting with each other, and keeping their groups alive.

But while the preview of the Unreal Engine 5 virtual tabletop looks promising, it is still far from ready. According to Stutzman:

In game development terms, we are in early pre-alpha. You might have also heard this called a vertical slice or a beautiful corner. This means we have built just enough rules, features, and content to package them together for player feedback, which will help us iterate and rapidly improve the experience. However, there are still too many bugs and missing pieces to put the game into the hands of the community, so we have only opened testing to anyone that works at Wizards and their friends and family.

Stutzman continued by relating the tasks that still need a lot of work, including the automation, Dungeon Master controls, D&D Beyond integration, and compatibility with the Fifth Edition rules. They also want to emphasize that the Dungeons & Dragons VTT will be a tool, not a replacement, for face-to-face and traditional tabletop roleplaying.

On that note, Stutzman also addressed what was meant by the marketplace that will be part of the D&D virtual tabletop:

When I said marketplace, I was referring to a shared space for creators to upload and download creations from. Community tools are also a long way off. In the meantime, tell us what you would want out of community sharing.

Dungeons & Dragons fans had expressed concerns about the development of the D&D VTT, particularly with the Open Gaming License controversy. The OGL 1.1 and OGL 1.2 leaks implied that Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro were pushing for unnecessary and predatory changes due to the alleged under-monetized D&D brand. With the announcement of One D&D, fans expressed fears of gatekeeping and microtransactions when the D&D virtual tabletop is implemented.

Although no rollout date was given for the Dungeons & Dragons VTT, the design team is targeting playtest releases through D&D Beyond later in 2023.