Wizards of the Coast specifically addressed these two groups in laying out recent and future changes to D&D products: In a blog post published on June 17 titled “ Diversity and Dungeons & Dragons,” Wizards of the Coast said that depicting a diverse array of human beings - beyond “fantasy versions of northern Europeans” - is “one of the explicit design goals of 5th edition D&D.” The developers noted that while they want to feature characters “who represent an array of ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and beliefs,” the game still contains problematic depictions of fantasy races.Īmong these races are the orcs, who are often characterized as a savage horde of creatures who lust for battle, and the drow, an evil dark-skinned subrace of elves who dwell in a subterranean matriarchy.
Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast has acknowledged the existence of racist stereotypes in its sourcebooks, and pledged to make changes to ameliorate the issue.
