In a post on the Dragonlance Website, Margaret Weis confirmed rumors that the Dragonlance license between Wizards of the Coast and Margaret Weis Productions will not be renewed and will terminate at the end of this year.  New Dragonlance RPG products will be released under the license until that time. 

Weis and Tracy Hickman will develop a new world, Dragonships of the Vindras, for release in fiction by Tor Books and in RPG product by Margaret Weis Productions.  Weis emphasized the positive in her post.  '[P]lease know we view this as a beginning, not an end,' she said.  'We see this as an opportunity to provide our fans and community with quality product with which we're going to be proud to be associated for many years to come. 

This is the second license for a Dungeons and Dragons property that has been ended by Wizards of the Coast in as many weeks (see ''Dragon' and 'Dungeon' Magazines to End').  Speculation on the reasons has been turbocharged with the timing of this second announcement.  Among the possibilities we've heard are clearing the licensing decks in advance of the movie release (see 'Dragonlance Headed for Release') or for other media rights deals, preparation for sale of the brand, or preparation for a change in the OGL or d20 licenses.   

Margaret Weis Productions is also producing licensed games this year for Battlestar Galactica (see 'Core BSG RPG Due in Spring') and Supernatural (see 'Supernatural RPG').