Dungeons and Dragons' Scrapped Project Doesn't Have to Be…

Dungeons and Dragons has become a massive part of pop culture. From fighting past the days of the Satanic panic in the 80s to now being a staple in popular media, Dungeons and Dragons has become an incredibly popular pastime. The role-playing game has maintained its presence as a tabletop experience, but adaptations like Baldur's Gate 3, The Legend of Vox Machina, and even a live-action film starring Chris Pine have showcased the versatility of the franchise.

However, Dungeons and Dragons still remains a tabletop game at heart. This led D&D Beyond to fund a virtual tabletop experience titled Project Sigil. Unfortunately, development on Project Sigil came to a halt this year, marking an end to a potential virtual version of the game. After the VTT's alpha testing, the heads of the project felt that ceasing development would be the best decision. An internal email from Senior Vice President Dan Rawson stated, "After several months of alpha testing, we’ve concluded that our aspirations for Sigil as a larger, standalone game with a distinct monetization path will not be realized."

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By Eric Law

Project Sigil May Not Reach the Finish Line, But There is Still Hope for a Virtual D&D Option Down the Road

Despite its cancelation, Sigil will be repurposed as a D&D Beyond feature.
Sigil will be used as a newer version of Maps.

Unfortunately, many of the staff members working on the project were laid off after the cancelation of Sigil, leaving any future attempt at an official VTT up in the air. Websites like Roll20 have become staples in the Dungeons & Dragons community, as they provide a similar function. However, Project Sigil was set to be the premiere first-party offering that would have streamlined playing virtually.

Project Sigil was intended to be a virtual space where DMs could craft levels and customize the visual components needed to help bring a world to life. It was an ambitious and promising upgrade to the virtual Dungeons and Dragons experience, but it seems as though the wait for a stronger VTT experience will have to be longer. Thankfully, a longer wait doesn't mean that such a concept has to be on the cutting room floor for good.

Critical Role recently announced that the company is looking to pursue making its own video game adaptation.

A Functional and Satisfying VTT Can Still Happen

It may take a while, but D&D Beyond's halting of Project Sigil can still bring forth something positive. The company may have learned valuable lessons that have shed light on what not to do when attempting to craft a VTT. With this fresh knowledge, D&D Beyond could avoid repeating the missteps that ultimately kept the project from meeting its potential, if the company ever chooses to try again. Bringing Dungeons and Dragons into the virtual space can't be easy.

It's also important to remember that although Project Sigil was set to be integrated with D&D Beyond in order to streamline the experience, an ambitious VTT doesn't have to be first-party. A similar tool could potentially be developed by an indie team down the road, but only time will tell.

After several months of alpha testing, we’ve concluded that our aspirations for Sigil as a larger, standalone game with a distinct monetization path will not be realized.

Project Sigil Can At Least Live On in a Small Way

Although it may not be the full-blown VTT many were hoping for, Project Sigil being repurposed in Maps is at least better than being scrapped completely. Dungeons and Dragons is always evolving, and over time, Project Sigil may get a second chance at life. It could be a few years from now, but a strong VTT version of Dungeons and Dragons would be worth the wait for a lot of fans.

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