Renegade shifts Transformers, G.I. Joe, Power Rangers to D&D 5.5E

Renegade has put three of Hasbro’s biggest licensed RPG lines on a new path: Transformers, G.I. JOE and Power Rangers are moving from Essence20 to a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E. The announcement landed during Renegade’s June 12 Renegade Con livestream recap, and it signals something bigger than a routine rules update. For players, it means a familiar D&D-style chassis is becoming the common language for these brands, with free conversion guides promised later for groups already playing under Essence20.

The practical takeaway is straightforward. Renegade said the new editions will use the D&D 5.5E framework, while the company’s current Essence20 campaigns will not be left without a bridge forward. Free Essence20-to-5.5E conversion guides are planned for Renegade’s website, which should make the transition easier for ongoing tables and for groups that want to carry characters, concepts, or favorite builds into the next edition. That matters in a line that already crosses franchise boundaries, especially with Renegade still selling Essence20 crossover material like Field Guide to Action and Adventure for Power Rangers, G.I. JOE and Transformers.

The move is also a reversal of the system identity Renegade spent years building. The company introduced Essence20 on August 26, 2021 as a d20-based system for its licensed RPGs. Its core mechanic paired a d20 with a Skill die that could range from d2 to d20, and character creation was built around Origin, Role and Influence. Renegade positioned the system for cinematic, cooperative play across multiple Hasbro properties, so shifting those same games onto 5.5E marks a major line-wide change rather than a single-book adjustment.

That change makes sense in context. In a January 2024 Forbes column, Rob Wieland described Essence20 as a system that looked familiar to fans of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, with a d20 resolution, classes and levels, plus streamlining such as fixed damage and Story Points. Renegade’s new direction leans even harder into that familiarity, and that is the real story for the hobby: 5.5E is no longer just Wizards of the Coast’s house style. It is becoming a shared rules language that licensed RPGs can use to bring more players in faster, and it may make Cybertron, Earth and Angel Grove easier to raid for ideas at the D&D table.