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Volume 14, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 2046-6692
  • E-ISSN: 2046-6706

Abstract

This research interrogates the subset of fandom called OSR, or Old School Renaissance, and its relation to the diversity in Dungeons & Dragons communities. Some who populate OSR are hostile to changes in the game, as it bends to a larger, diverse audience in recent years. These ideas are often expressed in social media spaces online and lead to contentious conversations between players. I perform a critical discourse analysis on X posts linked to fringe OSR members, specifically surrounding changes in Dungeons & Dragons that were seen as too progressive by some. I note how these gamers encourage a cultural capital that further boosts a veneration of nostalgia, while wanting to enforce a so-called magic circle between the gaming world and the real world. Further, I discuss how fan-related cultural capital furthers norms valued in gaming spaces.

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2026-03-31
2026-04-22

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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): cultural capital; fandom studies; nostalgia; OSR; social media; TTRPG
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