'Dungeons & Dragons' Will No Longer Be Distributed By Penguin Random House

Tabletop Games

Oct 8

Penguin Random House announced that effective January 1, 2024, it will no longer be distributing rulebooks for Wizards of the Coast’s popular long-running Table Top Role Playing Game (TTRPG), Dungeons & Dragons. The Dungeons & Dragons franchise has expanded over the years to include novels set in the Dungeons & Dragons world, a 1980s animated series, and even films, including the recently released Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, starring major Hollywood stars such as Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez. The concise e-mail announcement made by Penguin Random House, which has since been confirmed by the media, states:

“Effective December 31, 2023, Penguin Random House LLC will cease distributing titles for Wizards of the Coast LLC.”

The email message also includes a couple of support lines and a link to the distributor portal on the Wizards of the Coast site, and that distribution of rulebooks will be provided by Alliance, Diamond, GTS, Magazine Exchange, PHD, and Southern Hobby. Although this change does not mean the end of Dungeon & Dragons rulebooks’ availability, industry experts are unsure about the potential effects of this surprise decision.

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Some insiders are concerned that the new distributors will not meet the high standards previously established by Penguin Random House:

“As the owner of a hybrid book and game store, it’s frustrating, since the book publishers’ terms, incentives, and requirements are generally a lot better than the big game distributors,” Ross E. Lockhart of Petaluma, CA’s Word Horde Emporium of the Weird & Fantastic told io9. “Penguin [Random House] is very easy to deal with as a bookseller, particularly when it comes to things like replacing damaged products or returning outdated items. Less so with games distributors who have higher minimums and less favorable margins.”

Despite the change, Wizards of the Coast, while expressing dismay over Penguin Random House’s decision, has attempted to assure fans that Dungeons & Dragons will continue to be made available to fans through its new distributor, Hasbro. Wizards of the Coast also noted that, although Penguin Random House will no longer be distributing Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards of the Coast will still be occasionally partnering with them on select titles:

“Penguin Random House is a valued partner and publishing licensee of Wizards of the Coast. While we deeply appreciate the excellent service provided over the years by PRHPS, we are now shifting our distribution strategy to utilize the capabilities of Hasbro to sell and distribute D&D products to retailers, and we will continue to partner with PRH on licensed D&D titles like the recently released Lore & Legends and the upcoming Hero's Feast: Flavors of the Multiverse. This change to distribution of Wizards' D&D roleplaying game publications such as rulebooks and adventure content won't affect fans as they will continue to find Dungeons & Dragons products at their preferred retailers.”

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