D&D Beyond Provides Update on Monsters of the Multiverse Integration

D&D Beyond has provided an explanation to subscribers about how the upcoming Monsters of the Multiverse book will impact existing users. Later this month, Wizards of the Coast will release Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, a new rulebook that collects over 30 player races and over 250 monsters from past books. Many of the races and monsters in Monsters of the Multiverse contain revisions from their previous appearances, which has led to questions about how Wizards of the Coast and its partners will roll out the changes on various platforms and programs. 

This week, the D&D digital platform D&D Beyond provided a brief update about its rollout of Monsters of the Multiverse. With past updates to content, either via errata or updates in new books, D&D Beyond has updated the statblocks for all of its subscribers regardless as to whether they purchased the updated content or not. For instance, a D&D subscriber who purchased the Elemental Evil Player's Companion on D&D Beyond for the Goliath player race rules did not need to purchase Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden to gain access to the updates made to the Goliath player race in that adventure. However, this will not be the case with Monsters of the Multiverse, especially as some of the changes made in the book are considered unpopular with a segment of fans. 

During the platform's weekly Dev Update video, D&D Beyond head Joe Starr assured subscribers that it would not replace existing purchased content with content from Monsters of the Multiverse. "The big question that people have for us specifically around Monsters of the Multiverse is 'Will this replace my previously purchased content?,'" Starr said. "It will not. This will absolutely not replace your previously purchased at D&D Beyond." 

Starr didn't specify exactly how it would implement the new statblocks and player races found in the book. "We are currently working through with Wizard on the approach, you know, the nuts and bolts approach for making that work," Starr said. "Wizards of the Coast has asked us that they would like to take the lead on message around this book, we're allowing them that, but we did want to  make sure that you all understood that your stuff is not gonna get replaced, you're not gonna lose anything when this book is released. So, wanted to put that rumor, that concern, to bed."

We're still waiting to hear how other parts of the D&D community implement these changes. For instance, will the organized play community require the Monsters of the Multiverse rules to be used, or will they allow for players to use past versions of the rules in the game? We'll have more news about Monsters of the Multiverse, which will first be released as part of the Rules Expansion Gift Set later this month and then as an individual book in May.