Dungeons & Dragons has been criticised for removing racial differences between its cast of orcs, elves and dwarves.

In the new rule-book for the fantasy table-top game, released in September 2024, orcs are no longer inherently strong, nor elves intrinsically brainy.

Wizards of the Coast (WOTC), the game’s publisher, has also dropped a post-apocalyptic setting that featured slavery as part of a drive to make the game more inclusive.

Players who are made uncomfortable by an event in the game can now shut it down at any moment.

Announcing the change to the rules, which replaced “race” with “species”, WOTC said “race is a problematic term that has prejudiced links between real world people and the fantasy peoples of D&D Worlds”.