Paizo Announces System-Neutral Open RPG License

Industry-leading Independent Publishers Seek Return to Open Gaming

[REDMOND, WA, January 12, 2023]­­
In response to rumors that an upcoming revision of the Open Gaming License (OGL) by Wizards of the Coast would “de-authorize” this keystone of the modern tabletop roleplaying industry, Paizo has begun work on a new open, perpetual, and irrevocable Open RPG Creative License (ORC).

Since 2000, the OGL has improved the community, incubated creativity, and grown the business of not only the licensees but the licensor. A stated goal of a perpetual and irrevocable OGL was to ensure the establishment and longevity of gaming networks and to drive sales to both. Recent reinterpretation notwithstanding, it succeeded. Many companies including Wizards of the Coast have benefitted from that growth.

The Open RPG Creative License (ORC) will be built system agnostic for independent game publishers under the legal guidance of Azora Law, an intellectual property law firm that represents Paizo and several other game publishers. Multiple leading publishers have already signed on to the effort to create a new and truly open license that allows all games to provide their own unique open rules reference documents that open up their individual game systems to the world.

Complete details may be found on Paizo’s blog.