D&D’s Deck of Many Things will not ship on time due to defects

polygon.com:

In an unprecedented move in modern times, Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast is suspending shipment of its next physical release, The Deck of Many Things, due to defect. The announcement was made Friday, a little more than two weeks ahead of its expected release on Nov. 14. Polygon spoke with executive producer Kyle Brink ahead of the announcement.

“We are going to be suspending the ship date until we can get to the bottom of this and re-manufacture and re-distribute copies that don’t have these issues,” Brink told Polygon Friday on a video call. “The defect rate is too high. I cannot in good conscience ship this stock. We need to fully inspect it, understand exactly how many units are defective — all that.”

The Deck of Many Things is the physical embodiment of a magical set of playing cards first added to the lore of D&D in 1975. The elaborate boxed set, dubbed an “innovation product” by the Seattle-based publisher, includes 66 Tarot-style cards with a foil applique and two hardcover books: The Book of Many Things and Card Reference Guide. The former is still expected to release digitally on Oct. 31 for those who pre-ordered the product online, while the latter is only available as a physical product alongside the cards.

Quality issues were present in one of two pre-release copies sent to Polygon for review in late October, and included three major issues.

First, the cards as shipped had conflicting shapes, with some cards concave and others convex. As a result, they required a lengthy breaking-in period before they would lay flat on the table. Second, the paper bands used to secure the cards for shipment were so tight that removing them damaged the foil on the edge of the cards. Third, not all the cards