Wizards of the Coast removes mixed-race characters from 'Dungeons & Dragons' for racial sensitivity

Wizards of the Coast, the creators of the popular roleplaying game "Dungeons & Dragons" (D&D), has announced its decision to remove half-species characters from the game in an effort to promote racial sensitivity, sparking mixed reactions from the community.

The change was unveiled at the D&D creators summit, where the company revealed that the game's handbook will be updated to exclude the option of playing as biracial characters, such as half-elves.

This move is part of a broader initiative within the company to ensure that the gameplay is more racially sensitive and inclusive.

D&D lead rules designer Jeremy Crawford explained that the company has long been uncomfortable with the "half" character options, as the construction is inherently racist, Bounding Into Comics reported.

Consequently, they will not be included in the new Player's Handbook. The current handbook, in its fifth edition, describes half-elves as "[w]alking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither" and combining "what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents."

In an effort to make the game more inclusive, Crawford revealed that every aspect of the game now undergoes a review by inclusivity specialists.

Crawford explained:

Different reviewers have different areas of expertise and experience.

Everything gets sent to at least 2 people, sometimes more. The old inclusion review process had holes in it because they would only send out what they thought would be a problem.

Now EVERYTHING is sent out so we aren’t guessing what might be a problem.

The revamped review process means that everything, not just what was previously deemed problematic, is sent for evaluation. Even reprints are going through the inclusion review, leading to changes in older books as well.

The decision to remove half-species characters from the game has been met with backlash online.

Some critics argue that this move unfairly targets mixed-race individuals and erases them from fantasy games, reflecting negatively on the intentions of the company. Despite the controversy, Wizards of the Coast is doubling down on its decision to continue down its path of embracing wokeness.