Dungeons and Dragonshas 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 Dragonshas become an incredibly popular pastime. The role-playing game has maintained its presence as a tabletop experience, but adaptations likeBaldur’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 Dragonsstill remains a tabletop game at heart. This led D&D Beyond to funda virtual tabletop experience titledProject Sigil. Unfortunately, development onProject Sigilcame 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 forSigilas a larger, standalone game with a distinct monetization path will not be realized.”
Project Sigil May Not Reach the Finish Line, But There is Still Hope for a Virtual D&D Option Down the Road
Unfortunately, many of the staff members working on the project werelaid off after the cancelation ofSigil, leaving any future attempt at an official VTT up in the air. Websites like Roll20 have become staples in theDungeons & Dragonscommunity, as they provide a similar function. However,Project Sigilwas set to be the premiere first-party offering that would have streamlined playing virtually.
Project Sigilwas 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 tothe virtualDungeons and Dragonsexperience, 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 ofProject Sigilcan 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.BringingDungeons and Dragonsinto the virtual spacecan’t be easy.
It’s also important to remember that althoughProject Sigilwas set to beintegrated with D&D Beyondin 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 forSigilas 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 Sigilbeing repurposed in Maps is at least better than being scrapped completely.Dungeons and Dragonsis always evolving, and over time,Project Sigilmay get a second chance at life. It could be a few years from now, but a strong VTT version ofDungeons and Dragonswould be worth the wait for a lot of fans.
