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This week has a lot of different news. First up is an update from the owners of the Neopets IP on how the upcoming TTRPG’s publisher may have overstepped. One of the most iconic TTRPGs is getting a 5e conversion. There’s a new Ghost in the Shell TTRPG. And finally, we got to chat with the author of PUNDERWORLD, a new TTRPG about wit and wordplay.

Neopets Owners say Beta Playtest was Not Approved, Seeks Revisions

Two weeks ago, I covered how Neopets’ public beta playtest for the upcoming TTRPG caused a bit of “discourse” on BlueSky. The main point of contention was why the game was using a reflavored version of Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons for most of its mechanics. The document received a lot of feedback from fans and other designers for some of its odd choices. For example, the section on hosting a Session 0 (aka the conversation setting standards before you start a campaign) included addressing sexual content; something that seems a bit too adult for a child-oriented game like Neopets. It also included a playtest where you fought a group of bandits over a stolen bracelet, an approach that appeared notably contrary to Neopets’ storytelling style.

It turns out the rules previously released were not approved by Team Neopoets, the organization that manages the IP.

“We’ve carefully reviewed the concerns raised following the release of the beta playtest document,” the company wrote. “Some of that feedback reflects deeper concerns about the project's overall direction, highlighting that we need to re-examine the quality, direction, delivery, and transparency to ensure Neopet’s essence is being protected.”

“We want to be transparent with the community: the beta playtest document that was recently made public was not approved or reviewed by our team prior to its release,” Team Neopets said. “Under our licensing agreement, all content bearing the Neopets name must meet our quality standards and receive our written approval before it is shared publicly.

“Following an internal review, Neopets has determined that the content and themes contained within the document do not align with our brand standards, values, or the expectations we hold for experiences created under the Neopets license. Although the Neopets team has been steadily reviewing the TTRPG in sections as it is submitted, none of the aforementioned submissions was included in the beta document material released. We immediately requested the document’s removal and have been in direct communication with Geekify to address the matter.”

Geekify CEO John Taylor admitted in the Neopets TTRPG Discord that Geekify “was mistaken to post [the Beta playtest] in the first place.” Taylor says that he thought certain subjects had been approved by The Neopets Team, but it appears they were not. He does plan to address the public post in the future.

It appears that The Neopets Team intends to continue to work with Geekify on the project, although it remains unclear what the TTRPG will look like in future stages. Taylor says there’s a lot of work that we have yet to see, so we will have to wait and see. These events will likely mean that the game will be further delayed (Although we were not given a date for when the game would be ready yet, anyway.)

Sci-Fi Classic Traveller Comes to Fifth Edition

Traveller, arguably one of the most iconic science fiction TTRPGs on the market, is being converted to Fifth Edition rules; a decision some find controversial.

“This 5E version introduces Traveller to an enormous new audience. Starships, strange worlds, exotic alien creatures … every aspect of the sci-fi classic is faithfully recreated using the new edition's rules,” said game designer Timothy Brown, who is overseeing the project in partnership with Traveller owner Mongoose Publishing “Will the existing Imperium and all its sourcebooks be updated to the new rules? If there’s demand for that, then yes, of course, but the primary objective is to make a sandbox game that feeds the pent-up demand for whole new game universes. Equally exciting, we're tracking some of our favorite sci-fi novels and series to license as whole new Traveller 5E settings … stay tuned!”

The conversion is intended to make the science fiction setting more accessible to modern-day audiences and to fans who might only know Fifth Edition D&D rules, claims publisher World’s Largest RPGs.

When the project was initially announced in November 2025, it received some pushback from fans who didn’t agree with the need to convert Traveller’s ruleset to Fifth Edition. It’s the latest effort by a non-D&D publisher to convert their projects into a form that D&D fans will enjoy after Paizo and Chaosium released their own Fifth Edition additions on D&D Beyond.

The crowdfunding campaign will launch on March 31.

Ghost in the Shell Gets a Second Manga-Focused TTRPG Adaptation

Mantic Games, the minds behind the Halo: Flashpoint wargame and several other projects, announced that they are making ANOTHER Ghost in the Shell TTRPG, bringing the classic cyberpunk TTRPG to life….again.

The game is being designed by game designer Alessio Cavatore and TTRPG writer Zak Barouh, who hope to combine “fast-paced, narrative-driven mechanics with the philosophical depth and visual flair that define The Ghost in the Shell.”

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing The Ghost in the Shell to the world of tabletop roleplaying,” said Ronnie Renton, CEO of Mantic Games. “This is one of the most iconic and influential science fiction worlds ever created, and we’re honoured to be entrusted with the official license. Alessio and Zak have worked tirelessly to ensure every story told at the table feels true to the original manga, allowing players to live, think, and fight in the world of Major Kusanagi and the iconic Section 9.”

This project is separate from the Ghost in the Shell: Arise TTRPG that Mana Project Studio crowdfunded last year, which uses the Forged in the Dark rules to tell its story. Mantic Games’ project is entirely separate from Mana Project Studios, a representative told TTRPG Insider. Mana Project Studios’ game is based on the 2013 Arise TV show, while Mantic Games’ version is built on the original manga.

The project is scheduled for launch in Summer 2026.

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Four Wizards, Four Game Systems. Who Wins?

Deficient Master, a D&DTuber, got Bob of BobWorldBuilder, Land of the Blind’s Taron Pounds, and Cody of NoNat1s, to make wizards with four different rulesets and have them fight each other. It’s as silly as you think it is.

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