Dungeons & Dragons publisher apologizes for racist content in Spelljammer
Wizards of the Coast apologized Friday for racist content included in Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, the most recent release for the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game. Wizards made the apology Friday on social media and posted additional details to the company’s website.
“We failed our adventurers,” Wizards said on Twitter, “and we are truly sorry.”
We failed our adventurers, and we are truly sorry. Our statement on the Hadozee. https://t.co/3EKI13EfTd
The apology is in reference to a race called the hadozee, which are included in Spelljammer’s Astral Adventurer’s Guide and online in the Dungeons & Dragons Beyond toolset. The primatelike creatures were called out for their association with in-fiction slavery, as well as problematic themes and images that together serve to reinforce racism against Black people.
“We wanted to acknowledge and own the inclusion of offensive material within our recent Spelljammer: Adventures in Space content,” Wizards wrote. “The campaign includes a people called Hadozee which first appeared in 1982. Regrettably, not all portions of the content relating to the Hadozee were properly vetted before appearing in our most recent release. As we continue to learn and grow through every situation, we recognize that to live our values, we have to do better.”
Wizards said that offensive content related to the hadozee has been removed from all digital versions of Spelljammer and will not be included in reprints of the physical book. Wizards also said that it is performing a “thorough internal review” of the processes that lead to its publication.
“We are eternally grateful for the ongoing dialog with the D&D community, and we look forward to introducing new, engaging and inclusive
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