Long-established D&D virtual tabletop Fantasy Grounds has announced an earth-shattering shakeup to its business model. Effective immediately, the digital tool will be completely free to play. Developer SmiteWorks announced the change on November 8 at its annual Fantasy Grounds Con Online.
First released by SmiteWorks in 2004, Fantasy Grounds is one of the oldest VTTs around. Its in-depth automation gives it a level of complexity rivaling Foundry, while it has the tenure of established industry players like Roll20. Now, it has the free-to-play business model to better compete with them, too.
“The free virtual tabletops available today either began as lightweight tools and have remained limited in scope, or they’ve introduced paywalls and subscription fees to access core features”, Adam Bradford, Chief Development Officer at Smiteworks, tells Wargamer. “Fantasy Grounds, on the other hand, started as a premium VTT with powerful features, automation, versatility, and customization that came with a premium cost.”
“Now, that cost has been completely removed, but the premium features remain”, he adds. “Fans can get all that power and versatility without settling for less or paying extra for it.”
Previously, Fantasy Grounds required you to pay a one-off $50 ‘Ultimate License’ fee or a recurring monthly cost. This would provide an essential yet elaborate toolbox for hosting RPG games, such as tools and automation for dynamic line-of-sight, maps and images, game hosting, choose-and-play servers, and campaign management. If you wanted to play a licensed, pre-written campaign, that would come at an additional cost.
All the essential pieces of Fantasy Grounds are now free, with only its licensed game library and additional assets (think maps, pictures, and digital dice) still behind a paywall. SmiteWorks has also launched the beta early access version of its new Online Reader. This is a web-based tool that gives Fantasy Ground users access to their library of rules and references on all browsers and devices, without needing to rely on the Fantasy Grounds app. While most of the modules on the Online Reader come at a cost, the beta version already offers free rules for major TTRPGs like D&D and Pathfinder.
The removal of an upfront license fee and the introduction of the Online Reader are both decisions made in the name of “accessibility”, SmiteWorks president Doug Davison says. “Whether you’re a veteran GM or a first-time player, we want everyone to experience how powerful and immersive virtual tabletop gaming can be – with zero upfront cost.”
Bradford explains the strategy in more detail. “As the VTT landscape has evolved, the barriers to entering the hobby have continued to shrink”, he tells Wargamer. “Players can now enjoy games together even when they’re miles apart. While the technical challenges have largely been solved, cost remains a significant obstacle.”
“For instance, if someone who’s never played D&D before sees the new Stranger Things box set and wants to try it remotely with friends or family, they would need to purchase access to a virtual tabletop or pay extra for premium features, and then buy the adventure module itself”, Bradford explains. “Getting started in that scenario could cost $70 to $80.” “By removing the software costs entirely, we’re making it possible for someone to simply buy the box set module and start playing for around $20 to $30 instead.”
“Our goal is to make it easier than ever to dive into the hobby”, he adds, “no matter the distance between you and your group.”
Bradford is a leading figure in the TTRPG industry’s digital revolution. He founded D&DBeyond, a platform that is credited with making Dungeons and Dragons accessible to millions. After departing from D&DBeyond, Bradford held an executive role at Demiplane, an online tabletop tool for rules reference and character creation that brought a similar level of accessibility to many other RPGs. “I’ve seen firsthand how transformative it can be to access your game content anywhere, on any device”, he says.
After Demiplane was acquired by Roll20 in 2024, Bradford moved to his new position at SmiteWorks, where he’s part of what the company calls “a new era for one of the most feature-rich and long-standing platforms in digital tabletop gaming.” His experience launching initiatives like the Online Reader came with him.
“When I introduced this kind of digital reader with D&D Beyond, it changed the way groups engaged with their games”, Bradford says. “Since joining the Fantasy Grounds team a little over a year ago, I knew I wanted to bring that same level of accessibility to the world’s largest library of officially licensed digital game content”, he adds. “Our new online reader is still in the early stages of beta testing, but fans can expect it to grow with all the features they’ve come to love in a modern digital reader – along with a few exciting innovations we have planned for the future.”
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