Rowan, Rook and Decard Step Back from Gen Con 2025 Amidst International Travel Safety Concerns

UK-based tabletop RPG publisher Rowan, Rook and Decard have announced their decision to forgo an in-person presence at Gen Con 2025. The creators of critically acclaimed games like Heart, Spire, and Eat the Reich cited growing concerns over the safety of international travel into the United States as the primary reason for their withdrawal.

In a statement posted on their website on May 6th, the studio’s head of conventions, Matt Sanders, and lead designer, Grant Howitt, explained their difficult decision: “Crossing the border into the US simply isn’t safe for us at the moment, and it doesn’t appear to be getting safer.”

Their statement reflects a sentiment of unease that appears to be growing within international communities regarding entry into the US. “We aren’t the first to make this decision; we suspect we won’t be the last, either; the political climate is only getting worse,” they wrote, highlighting a broader concern about the current environment.

The publisher emphasized the potential risks involved in sending their staff to Indianapolis for the largest public-facing convention in the tabletop gaming industry. “While the odds of most of us encountering resistance at border control are low, we don’t want to risk running the biggest convention of the year without the members of staff we need because they’ve been detained, deported, or otherwise penalised for their beliefs or who they are.”

Despite the absence of their team, Rowan, Rook and Decard assured fans that their games would still be available for purchase at Gen Con 2025. They have partnered with an independent convention business to ensure that both their established titles and upcoming releases, including new GM screens and adventures for Heart, will be accessible on the show floor. However, all scheduled events, after-hours meetups, and panels involving Rowan, Rook and Decard staff have been canceled.

Matt Sanders revealed that the team had been contemplating this decision since before the US elections in November 2024. He pointed to a disturbing trend of innocent travelers facing detention or denial at US border checkpoints and even at airline security. Sanders specifically mentioned the case of a French scientist who was barred from entering the country to attend a research conference and subsequently expelled, as well as the prolonged detentions and eventual deportations of two German tourists. The statement also alluded to reports from outlets like The Independent, which have documented numerous instances of individuals caught in what they describe as a “bigoted dragnet,” including the ongoing detention of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil.

Rowan, Rook and Decard’s decision underscores the increasing apprehension some international individuals and organizations are feeling about traveling to the United States. Their absence from Gen Con 2025, while disappointing for fans, serves as a stark reminder of the impact that political climates can have on international exchange and collaboration within the global gaming community.