Kobold Press CEO and Kobold-in-Chief, Wolfgang Baur, is here to give you some insight on the state of the industry!
As you may have seen from other game companies like Steve Jackson Games, substantial US tariffs are going into effect on April 5, 2025. These import taxes will require most US game companies to raise prices on new releases.
The short and sweet reality is that each hardcover printed outside the US will cost from 20% to 54% more to produce, and like a lot of TTRPG companies, we simply can’t absorb that tax hike and stay in business. The Steve Jackson Games statement makes it abundantly clear; while tariffs can be part of a national strategy, this is a very high, very sudden tax hike for a printing industry that doesn’t have a lot of US capacity. There’s no way to “just move” these projects to the US.
So, prices are going up to allow game publishers to pay the new import taxes. There’s very little we can do about it. If you are unhappy with the price hikes, we strongly recommend that you contact you representatives in Congress.
Existing Books and Digital Goods
Not everything is going to cost more, though! We’re holding the line everywhere we can, and I’d like to call your attention to categories of Kobold Press releases that are totally unaffected: that’s the books currently on sale from the Kobold Press Store and every PDF, Kindle, audiobook, or VTT item. I’ll go out on a limb and say that digital prices will remain where they are so long as inflation remains low.
Prices on existing hardcovers in the warehouse remain the same, and I promise they will stay that way until we need to reprint. Note that Kobold Press reprints titles on a rolling schedule, and the company avoids holding more than 12 to 18 months of inventory.
Projects in Preorder
That’s the good news. Here’s the bad news: Items in preorder will see prices go up, because those import taxes are charged the moment they arrive in the US. We’ll announce these preorder changes as they hit. All existing preorders will be honored at the current price.
Some preorder projects might be canceled, but right now we hope to retain our full schedule. We are reviewing on a project-by-project basis. If needed, we will remove the least sustainable games from our schedule to ensure Kobold Press remains in business.
Projects on Press
Kobold Press projects already funded and committed to print via crowdfunding (primarily Labyrinth Worldbook, Labyrinth Adventures, and Monster Vault 2) will be printed and sent to backers as promised. Tariffs may need to be charged for US backers; we’ll share that information with backers when the time comes.
It’s Chaotic, But We’re Not Giving Up
The result of all this is a large wave of chaos spreading through existing channels, manufacturing relationships, and retail distribution chains. The games industry is far from the only or largest field affected, but it is one with a high reliance on overseas production (primarily China, but also Canada and the EU). We’re going to see the effects as soon as this summer’s releases hit the harbor.
No one in the industry is pleased by higher taxes, but kobolds are adaptable, and we’ll fight hard to keep price hikes as small as we can, while still staying in business.
More importantly, we’ll fight to continue to make your gaming dollar worth it, and all the kobolds will strive to keep producing the fiercest and best games we possibly can.
The trade situation is fluid, and I’ll update you if things change. For now, Kobold Press is steering steady on, moving ahead, and looking to live up to that kobold reputation as survivors.
On a hopeful note: I’ve already heard from half a dozen other publishers, printers, and shippers who are looking to make sure that printed games survive and thrive. As a community we’re sharing ideas and looking to optimize. Gamers love a challenge, and we’re going to figure it out together.
That’s the classic kobold pack tactics, folks.