Dungeons and Dragons has lots deliberate for the approaching yr. Following the 2024 launch of its revised fifth version ruleset (which the builders have come round to calling “5.5e” after initially resisting), the D&D workforce has crafted a seasonal content material construction paying homage to a live-service online game like Overwatch or Fortnite. At right now’s Gen Con presentation, we bought a good take a look at all of the expansions, collaborations, and tie-in merchandise on the horizon for the approaching yr. It is lots, so here is a rundown of what to anticipate in chronological order.Season of Magic: July – September 2026
Arcana UnleashedThe first (and technically ongoing) season brings a pair of Arcana Unleashed books, themed round magical subclasses, gadgets, and an journey that pits gamers towards the Purple Wizards of Thay (a faction you would possibly acknowledge from the 2023 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves film).Arcana Unleashed is the gameplay enlargement, which incorporates eight subclasses, 33 spells, 10 backgrounds, 29 feats, 47 magic gadgets, and extra. It additionally concludes with a brief journey for first-level characters to check out the brand new arcane additions. In the meantime, Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall is a “magical espionage marketing campaign” that has you face off towards Szass Tam, the dreaded lich. It is designed to deliver gamers from degree 11 as much as degree 20. Each Arcana Unleashed books drop September 15.DnDBeyond.com/LFGNext, Dungeons & Dragons is including a brand new game-finding function to D&D Past, and you may test it out at dndbeyond.com/lfg. This web page has three capabilities. First, you need to use it to seek out in-person video games close to you. Second, D&D is partnering with startplaying.video games to provide gamers a reduction when utilizing the service, which connects individuals to for-hire Dungeon Masters on-line. Particularly, it makes the primary recreation price simply 99 cents. Lastly, there can even be a server to attach gamers with gamers by way of Discord.Season of Champions: October – December 2026
Dungeons & Dragons: World of WarcraftThe subsequent season is headlined by Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, one of many TTRPG’s extra formidable crossovers. Not solely does it deliver Azeroth to the world of D&D, however the designers are boasting that it is a very thorough crossover. With 11 new species and 9 subclasses, the workforce says you’ll be able to play as any World of Warcraft race and sophistication mixture that you possibly can play within the recreation. It additionally consists of seven World of Warcraft dungeons, 30 dungeon boss stat blocks, over 60 new spells, over 50 new monsters, and bespoke mechanics for professions, mounts, companion creatures, and faction rewards.Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, alongside a brand new DM display, a pack of Icecrown Citadel maps (with an included journey), and two packs of miniatures, launch on November 17. Like with all D&D merchandise, you may also entry them two weeks early if you are going to buy them from an area recreation retailer or pay for the D&D Past subscription Grasp Tier. The entire suite of merchandise is accessible for pre-order right now.D&D: Universes BeyondThis is the primary collaboration in a brand new initiative known as Universes Past, which seeks to accomplice D&D content material and mechanics with appropriate crossover universes. Whereas that is the primary and solely instance we have seen thus far, it is not arduous to think about that the D&D workforce will take some steering from the quite a few crossover collections seen in Magic: The Gathering lately.Season of Survival: February – July 2027
Darkish SunDark Solar returns subsequent yr, kicking 2027 off with a bloody bang. It is set in Athas, a brutal world of city-states dominated by sorcerer kings, and with intense violence and sexual themes, the setting is fairly mature for D&D requirements. The artwork is graphic, however so are a few of the guidelines – in a personal briefing of the information, we heard designers tease an optionally available decapitation mechanic, for instance. It is really excessive sufficient that it comes with a content material warning, and copies in shops must be shrink-wrapped on cabinets so delicate audiences do not by accident view its graphic artwork. The information was accompanied by a very grotesque animated trailer, full with cartoon dismemberment, to set the tone.That trailer additionally has footage of an individual combating foes with psychic powers, as a result of this e book will lastly re-introduce the Psion class to the D&D world. Whereas it initially appeared in some playtesting materials early in fifth version’s lifespan, Wizards of the Coast in the end selected so as to add psychic-themed subclasses to its current lessons as a substitute, saving the brand new guidelines for an additional time. Final yr, it was launched once more as Unearthed Arcana, and evidently this time, the design workforce was in a position to make sufficient progress to maneuver it on the trail in direction of publication.The content material launch consists of two principal books: Darkish Solar: Fringe of Oblivion is a setting enlargement, whereas Darkish Solar: Blood and Energy is a gameplay enlargement. The drop can even embrace a map pack, a Darkish Solar DM Display screen, and a restricted version 5.5e Participant’s Handbook with Darkish Solar cowl artwork.Season of Sword & Sorcery: September – October 2027
Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch QueenThe final introduced season, scheduled for late 2027, will deliver a brand new Greyhawk marketing campaign setting, returning gamers to one in all D&D’s earliest authentic worlds. Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen can be a 160-page hardcover e book that’s villain-focused, centering on Drelzna, the vampire daughter of Iggwilv (who’s also called Tasha). It is over a yr out, so particulars are restricted, however we all know the e book can be accompanied by a Greyhawk DM display and a map pack.Different AnnouncementsFinally, here is a rundown of every thing else talked about within the presentation that do not have a selected date tied to them.
D&D IconsD&D Icons is a brand new collaboration marketing campaign to deliver storied creators to work with the present design workforce on upcoming D&D content material. Joe Manganiello (who I performed HeroQuest with final yr) would be the program’s chief inventive officer, and this system will launch with collaborations with Luke Gygax (who will work on Greyhawk supplies), Margaret Wies and Tracy Hickman (who will work on Dragonlance supplies), and R. A. Salvatore (from The Legend of Drizzt). D&D says this group of cohorts is simply the beginning of the Icons program, and hopes to work with extra creators sooner or later.
D&D Past ImprovementsNext, the presenters introduced an overhaul to the D&D Past app, which is meant to make it a extra useful cellular companion to be used on the desk, not only for on-line play. It seems streamlined, with extra intuitive menus and a cleaner interface. A model is scheduled to drop in 2027, however the builders confused it will likely be a “very early model” and that they will be counting on participant suggestions to form the ultimate product.
Warlock: Dungeons & DragonsWe additionally realized extra about Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, the upcoming third-person action-adventure recreation. Each warlock wants a patron, and right now we realized the patron on this story can be Tasha, the Witch Queen. We additionally realized she’ll be voiced by Maggie Robertson (greatest recognized for taking part in Girl Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village), and that we’ll get our first glimpse of gameplay at Gamescom subsequent month.Annual Setting SupportWe additionally realized that D&D is teaming up with third-party TTRPG designers to create a extra common cadence of releases in its current marketing campaign settings. Ghostfire Gaming is creating a Ravenloft journey for subsequent yr, Visionary Productions is creating an Eberron journey that includes the Lord of Blades for 2028, and Kobold Press is engaged on future content material set within the Forgotten Realms. D&D/Star Wars CrossoverDetails are scarce, however Wizards of the Coast additionally used its showcase to disclose upcoming plans for a “Season of Riot” associated to some sort of Star Wars crossover. Wizards of the Coast revealed one of many principal iterations of the Star Wars TTRPG beginning approach again in 2007, however a more moderen Star Wars RPG (with completely different guidelines) has been revealed by Fantasy Flight in more moderen years. We’ll have to attend to be taught exactly what this new crossover would possibly contain.
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