D&D, World of Warcraft, Star Wars and more!
D&D Vision Keynote Recap
Yesterday, Thursday, July 30, Dungeons & Dragons held its keynote at Gen Con. The presentation was packed with surprises, major announcements, and exciting plans for the future of the game.
The Introduction of D&D Icons
The event began with actor and longtime D&D fan Joe Manganiello, who introduced what is now known as D&D Icons.
Joe invited Luke Gygax, the son of D&D co-creator Gary Gygax, onto the stage. Luke announced that he would once again work with the D&D franchise to help bring back the original Greyhawk setting.
A future adventure book will be set in Greyhawk and will focus on the rise of a new Witch Queen. It will be a full-length adventure, which sounds extremely interesting.
The presentation also featured Tracy Hickman, co-creator of Dragonlance, another beloved setting from D&D history.
Later, R. A. Salvatore appeared to discuss the return of one of the most iconic characters in the D&D universe: Drizzt Do’Urden. Drizzt has appeared in multiple New York Times bestselling novels and remains one of the most recognizable characters in fantasy roleplaying.
A New Product Strategy
One of the most interesting parts of the keynote was the focus on D&D’s classic settings.
The team repeatedly emphasized that Dungeons & Dragons is for everyone. However, instead of trying to make every product appeal to every player, the new strategy seems to be creating more focused products for specific groups of fans.
Rather than producing books that try to satisfy everyone at once, D&D may release one product aimed at fans of Greyhawk, another aimed at fans of Dark Sun, and another aimed at fans of a completely different setting.
I think this is a much better approach. It allows the designers to create products without watering them down. They can take more creative risks and develop settings with stronger identities.
Of course, this strategy also carries some risks. If a book focuses on a setting that does not interest many players, it might not sell as well. However, the fans who love that setting will probably be very enthusiastic about it.
This approach could also introduce newer players to settings they have never experienced before. Many recent D&D players are familiar with the Forgotten Realms but may not know much about Greyhawk, Dragonlance, or Drizzt Do’Urden.
World of Warcraft Comes to D&D
Another major announcement was the first Universes Beyond collaboration for Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft.
World of Warcraft is one of the most successful and influential video games ever created. It was developed by Blizzard Entertainment, the studio behind games such as Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Overwatch.
World of Warcraft feels like a natural fit for D&D. It includes spellcasters, powerful warriors, interesting characters, epic stories, and a massive high-fantasy world.
The Warcraft III campaign, in particular, delivered an incredible fantasy story. Because of that, I think World of Warcraft fits very well into the Dungeons & Dragons system.
Why Universes Beyond Works in D&D
I also believe that Universes Beyond works better in D&D than it does in a competitive game such as Magic: The Gathering.
Magic has released crossover sets based on properties such as Marvel, Spider-Man, Doctor Who, Final Fantasy, Warhammer, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Some Magic players have been frustrated by the lack of cohesion created by these crossovers. A single deck might include Gandalf, Leonardo from the Ninja Turtles, Peter Parker, and characters from Doctor Who. Those cards may be individually interesting, but they do not always create a unified fantasy world.
D&D is different because it is a cooperative roleplaying game. You are not required to use every setting or crossover at the same table.
If you do not want World of Warcraft in your campaign, you can simply ignore it. If you want to combine several different settings, you can do that as well.
The Dungeon Master decides what content is allowed in a campaign. Because of this flexibility, I think Universes Beyond is a welcome addition to D&D.
Dark Sun Returns
Another announcement that excited many fans was the return of the Dark Sun setting.
Dark Sun is known for its harsh world, extreme violence, mature themes, powerful psionics, gladiators, sorcerer-kings, and dangerous environments. For a long time, many fans believed that D&D would never bring the setting back because of its darker content.
Previous D&D products often tried to appeal to the widest possible audience. A setting as intense as Dark Sun might have been considered too difficult to publish under that philosophy.
However, the new direction makes Dark Sun possible again.
The setting is expected to return in 2027. The presentation suggested that the book will not be watered down. It may be sealed and marked for mature audiences, including an 18+ content warning.
That would be a strong signal that the designers intend to preserve the violence, brutality, and unique identity that made Dark Sun so memorable.
The return of Dark Sun is also exciting because it suggests that other classic settings could eventually come back as well.
Support from Third-Party Publishers
D&D also announced plans to work with third-party publishers to provide ongoing support for existing settings.
For example, Ghostfire Gaming will be working on new material related to Ravenloft. Other companies will contribute to settings such as Eberron and the Forgotten Realms.
The reasoning is understandable: the main D&D team has many projects in development, and fans should not have to wait several years for new adventures, character options, or sourcebooks for their favorite settings.
By working with experienced third-party publishers under D&D’s supervision, the company can keep more settings active and release new material more regularly.
These products will reportedly be available both physically and digitally, which is good news for players who prefer printed books as well as those who use digital tools.
Improvements to D&D Beyond
There were also several announcements about improvements to D&D Beyond.
The website will receive a Looking for Group feature to help players find groups at local game stores and other locations.
D&D is also partnering with StartPlaying, a platform that helps players find professional Dungeon Masters and organized games. For a limited time, players may be able to book a Dungeon Master for only 99 cents.
Additional improvements are planned for search, bookmarking, and general navigation.
The team has also been working on a mobile application for the past two years. The app will allow players to use their phones at the table to review character sheets, roll dice, and make adjustments during a game.
These features could make the experience of playing D&D more convenient and accessible.
Upcoming Games and Actual Play Content
The keynote also revealed that the first gameplay trailer for the upcoming video game Warlock will be released on August 25.
The official D&D actual-play series, The Dungeon Masters, will also travel to Azeroth, the setting of World of Warcraft. After that, the series will return to the Forgotten Realms, specifically Icewind Dale.
I am especially excited to see how the show handles Azeroth and how it connects that setting to the D&D experience.
The Upcoming Seasons of D&D
D&D also presented its upcoming releases as different thematic seasons.
We are currently in the Season of Magic. At the end of August or the beginning of September, two new books releases are expected (Arcana Unleashed and Deadfall).
After that will come the Season of Champions, which will include the World of Warcraft book.
In early 2027, the Season of Survival will begin, featuring the return of Dark Sun.
There will also be a sword-and-sorcery season focused release set in Greyhawk.
Later in the year, the Season of Rebellion will introduce another Universes Beyond collaboration: Star Wars.
The Star Wars announcement made me smile. Science fiction has never really been my preferred style of D&D. Even Spelljammer is a little outside my comfort zone.
That said, I am happy for Star Wars fans who may discover Dungeons & Dragons through this collaboration. Anything that brings new players into the tabletop roleplaying hobby is ultimately positive.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I am extremely happy with everything announced during the keynote.
I never expected to see this much content and effort being invested into Dungeons & Dragons. The return of classic settings such as Greyhawk and Dark Sun, the introduction of World of Warcraft and Star Wars, the support from third-party publishers, and the improvements to D&D Beyond all point toward an exciting future.
The game feels more confident, more creative, and more willing to embrace different types of players.
What did you think of the keynote? Which announcement are you most excited about?