As someone who buys books both physical and digital, and knows how the errata can overwrite content in both (see Bladesinger for the SCAG being changed from an elven subclass to a general, removing the flavor that the dwarves still have with the Battlerager) I have deep concerns for what might be erased if this new revision to 5e removes content wholesale. If I had my preference, the 5e revision would be a new set that could be optionally purchased instead of replacing the original. But the question still remains if it will erase and revise the books, or be an optional additional purchase for those who want to accept these changes? I don't want to lose what I have with the changes the new resources would create, and would rather opt into it via a different tab once purchased than it being forced onto me.
The books will layout how you can use material/adventures from before the 2024 books so people can continue to use the books they own and provide as frictionless a process as possible.
....
One of the things we're doing to ensure that 5E stays compatible with itself is that when a number is attached to itself, it won't change. So no spells are changing levels and no monster CRs are changing. They're working to make the CR of the monster and not change the CR. Similarly they're making sure the spell is appropriate for the level instead of changing the spell level. This is one of the ways we're supporting a revision of 5E in place instead of creating a 5.5 or 5E.
The way content is on D&D Beyond will not change either. If you bought a book, it'll still be there. They may get a "legacy" label, but they'll still be there.
Will our current core books in D&D Beyond just get upgraded to the 2024 version? No, they are considered new books because they have so much new content, new art, etc.
In other words, all indications are that they will handle this as they did the "archiving" of Volo's and the first Mordenkainen's after the release of the second Mordenkainen's.
As someone who buys books both physical and digital, and knows how the errata can overwrite content in both (see Bladesinger for the SCAG being changed from an elven subclass to a general, removing the flavor that the dwarves still have with the Battlerager) I have deep concerns for what might be erased if this new revision to 5e removes content wholesale. If I had my preference, the 5e revision would be a new set that could be optionally purchased instead of replacing the original. But the question still remains if it will erase and revise the books, or be an optional additional purchase for those who want to accept these changes? I don't want to lose what I have with the changes the new resources would create, and would rather opt into it via a different tab once purchased than it being forced onto me.
From the transcription of the recent creator's summit on Enworld (I've used colors to draw attention to some points):
In other words, all indications are that they will handle this as they did the "archiving" of Volo's and the first Mordenkainen's after the release of the second Mordenkainen's.
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I really hope they do not force it apon us.