Hello and welcome home. This is Audio EXP, the weekly podcast from Geek Native. I’m your host, Girdy, and it is time to catch up on a massive week in tabletop gaming. We have major industry shakeups, some heavy hitters rethinking their strategies, and a closer look at how encyclopaedic roleplaying games are built. We are taking a slightly deeper dive into the news this week, unpacking the ‘why’ behind the headlines. So, let’s get right into it.
[The following is a transcript of Audio EXP: #322]
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Our lead story this week focuses on Surbrook Press, who you might remember as our February Publisher Spotlight winner. They have a fascinating history of building truly encyclopaedic roleplaying game worlds, drawing on inspirations from the likes of Elizabeth Moon to Aaron Allston. Behind Surbrook Press is Michael Surbrook, an accomplished game designer who actually worked on Aaron Allston’s Strike Force. This depth of experience really shows in how they construct their settings. It’s not just about throwing monsters into a book; it’s about deeply researching history and folklore so that when players encounter something, it feels grounded and rich. It is a fantastic reminder of the value of human curation and historical deep dives in an industry that is currently arguing about the soul of creativity.
And speaking of that argument, the debate around artificial intelligence in the tabletop space has escalated rapidly this week. Following last week’s discussion about Hasbro’s executive stance on AI, the board game industry has been rocked by the sudden departure of Ryan Dancey from Alderac Entertainment Group, or AEG. Dancey, who was the Chief Operating Officer for over a decade, left after making controversial social media posts claiming that AI could generate game designs equal to AEG’s current hits. He stated on LinkedIn that he had “zero reason to believe that an AI couldn’t come up with Tiny Towns or Flip Seven or Cubitos”. Dancey’s argument is that game publishing is less about “unique special ideas” and much more about execution, suggesting AI is well-suited for this. The community backlash was immediate, with critics arguing this devalues the creative labour of human designers. John Zinser, CEO at AEG, quickly confirmed they had parted ways, citing the need for “leadership alignment and clarity”. This is a massive story because Ryan Dancey is a towering figure in geek culture. He was a key architect of the original Open Game License at Wizards of the Coast and instrumental in the 2023 community campaign to protect the OGL from Hasbro. To see a champion of community creators now taking this stance on generative AI – and leaving a major publisher over it – shows just how polarised the industry is becoming.
In other strategic shifts, fans of Pathfinder and Starfinder will need to rethink their summer plans. Paizo has officially announced that PaizoCon has been removed from the 2026 calendar. The publisher is framing this as a temporary hiatus to reevaluate the event’s format, making it more enjoyable and effective. Maya Coleman, Community & Social Media Specialist at Paizo, noted that they need time to come up with something that works great for everyone. This makes sense when you look at their logistics right now. They recently completed a difficult migration to a BigCommerce-powered webstore and are pushing toward the Starfinder Second Edition full release. However, the community isn’t sitting idle. The Organised Play Online region has stepped up to announce “Bridging the Gap 2026”, a grassroots online convention scheduled for the 22nd to the 25th of May. While we will miss the traditional Erik Mona Keynote, Paizo confirmed that major product reveals will shift to standalone livestreams throughout the year. It really highlights the tension between the prestige of an in-person event and the vital, accessible lifeline that digital conventions provide for international fans.
The business side of the hobby is facing significant legal challenges. This week, the US tabletop industry braced for its next skirmish over international manufacturing and import taxes. A landmark 6-3 decision by the US Supreme Court has ruled the sweeping global tariffs enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act unlawful. While this sounds like a victory, publishers are not celebrating just yet. The 145% US tariff on Chinese manufacturing partners severely disrupted production costs for rulebooks and miniatures. Stonemaier Games, known for Wingspan, joined a federal lawsuit to fight this, facing nearly £1.1 million, or $1.5 million, in pending bills. The Game Manufacturers Association, or GAMA, also joined a separate lawsuit in Texas. Crucially, the Supreme Court did not explicitly order the US government to return the funds automatically; that question has been left to lower courts like the US Court of International Trade. It is going to be a lengthy refund war, but the companies that filed preemptive lawsuits are now positioned at the front of the queue.
Over at Wizards of the Coast, D&D Beyond has revealed its 2026 roadmap, signalling a fundamental shift in how the digital toolset operates. They are moving away from hard-coded logic and completely rebuilding the service to function as a data-driven game engine. Laura Thompson, Software Engineering Manager, explained that defining rules and content as data should deliver faster load times and allow greater flexibility for applying rules. This is a massive technical undertaking. For players, this kicks off in March with Quickbuilder, an art-forward tool to create a level 1 character in minutes. But the real focus seems to be on Dungeon Masters. Zac Cohn, Principal Technical Product Manager, described the development philosophy for the Maps VTT as “Honda Accord, not F-16”, meaning they are prioritising ease of use over overwhelming complexity. The team is hosting a Reddit AMA on the r/dndnext subreddit on the 24th of February at 6 PM GMT to discuss these changes further.
We are also seeing massive consolidation in the event space. Best Coast Pairings and Keyrune Incorporated, the team behind Melee.gg, have announced a formal merger to create Galactic Events Studio. This merger aims to bridge the gap between wargaming, card games, and board games into a single, streamlined ecosystem. If you play Warhammer 40,000, you likely use BCP. If you play Magic: The Gathering or Star Wars: Unlimited, you use Melee.gg. Now, they are bringing this all together. Scott Elliott, CEO of Keyrune, noted they support more than 6,000 stores and 10,000 organisers globally. Paul McKelvey, CEO of Best Coast Pairings, highlighted that their combined team will deliver best-in-class tools for events of all sizes. Their new “Match Manager” tool is scheduled for a live demo at GAMA 2026 in early March.
If you prefer your board games on the screen, Asmodee and Netflix have struck a major partnership to adapt the Ticket to Ride board game. This includes a feature film currently in development, written by Ben Mekler and Chris Amick. Alan R. Moon, the game’s original creator, is joining the project as an executive producer. It is a huge move for a game that has sold over 20 million copies and proves just how much the streaming giants are leaning into tabletop intellectual property.
In one of the most delightfully bizarre stories of the week, the humble schoolyard game of Tic Tac Toe is being reimagined as a high-stakes professional esport. The Worldwide High Score League has announced the Worldwide Tic Tac Toe Championship. Launching with installations at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, the competition will culminate at SXSW in Austin, Texas, this March. This is the brainchild of comedian and media entrepreneur Victor Varnado. The League is trying to bypass the fact that Tic Tac Toe is a mathematically “solved” game by exploiting human error through timed rounds and expanding 4×4 or 5×5 boards. As “King Supernuts,” the Grand Commissioner and Final Boss of the League, told Geek Native, they use “public pressure” to obliterate mastery. It is framed as a gateway drug to professional esports for non-traditional audiences.
Just to round out some quick hits: Hit Point Press is bringing a criminal underworld to 5e in Most Wanted. SLA Industries is targeting a more Savage future with new mechanics, and Timothy Brown is leading an official Traveller 5e adaptation for Backerkit.
We finish up this week with our bundles and deals. If you are looking for cyberpunk action on a budget, the Neon City Overdrive bundle is offering high-tech, low-life roleplaying games at a great price. Alternatively, if you want to explore infinite horizons, there are excellent toolkits available right now for both Downcrawl and Skycrawl. I have checked the dates, and you have plenty of time to grab these before they expire!
That is it for this week. Thanks for listening to Audio EXP. For all the links and full stories, head over to Geek Native. Until next week, stay geeky.
