D&D General Does WotCs “Happy Holidays” post confirm a Ravenloft book in 2026?

[Swarmkeeper]

Wizards of the Coast posted a graphic on social media that may confirm what’s in store for D&D in 2026.

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The picture was accompanied by the following text:

“Thank you for another incredible year of stories and shared adventures. Happy Holidays from the D&D team, we can’t wait to show you what 2026 has in store.”

The picture features some classic D&D creatures like Zombies and Owlbears, but most notably includes both Count Strahd as well as Esmeralda, a character from the Curse of Strahd adventure.

Could this be hinting at the first announcement for D&D in 2026? Could the Horror UA be for a “Forge of the Artificer” style Ravenloft book?

Seems like as good evidence as any we have received so far.

Not to mention, Morgantha with her Dream Pastries, maybe Mordenkainen at the back of the line, and Old Bonegrinder off in the distance...

 

[Charlaquin]

Not to mention, Morgantha with her Dream Pastries, maybe Mordenkainen at the back of the line, and Old Bonegrinder off in the distance...

It’s got the two kids from Death House as well. And I’m guessing the wizard is Mordenkainen. The silver dragon overhead is probably Argynvost, or at least his ghost.

If WotC wasn’t deeply embarrassed about the drama with Dice, Camera, Action, I would have guessed the owlbear was a reference to Waffles.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

A reboot of the module "House of the Gryphon Hill" is possible but the UA article was more a sourcebook focused into player options.

I guess it would be published before the next Halloween. But perhaps they prefer to plan it earlier for fear of unforeseen delays.

Ravenloft is a subfranchise relatively easier to be adapted to other genres like videogames or cinematographic productions.

 

[Davy Greenwind]

They mentioned that card on their Discord:

"Lastly, a little holiday gift from us: a D&D-themed holiday card featuring art by Natalie Andrewson, showing an adventuring party making a rest stop at a warm castle on their long journey with presents and goodies in tow. Here’s to warm rolls, cold drinks, and the friends who make every journey worth it!"

 

[bedir than]

They mentioned that card on their Discord:

"Lastly, a little holiday gift from us: a D&D-themed holiday card featuring art by Natalie Andrewson, showing an adventuring party making a rest stop at a warm castle on their long journey with presents and goodies in tow. Here’s to warm rolls, cold drinks, and the friends who make every journey worth it!"

And the Martikovs merely operated a winery

 

[Charlaquin]

They mentioned that card on their Discord:

"Lastly, a little holiday gift from us: a D&D-themed holiday card featuring art by Natalie Andrewson, showing an adventuring party making a rest stop at a warm castle on their long journey with presents and goodies in tow. Here’s to warm rolls, cold drinks, and the friends who make every journey worth it!"

That’s bizarre. Why downplay the very obvious Curse of Strahd references?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I would rather have a long Ravenloft adventure than a short comparability patch - which I don’t think is necessary. And Gryphon Hill, with its story about people having their minds changed with the minds of monsters, would be scarily topical. And there is plenty of room in Mordentshire for a sandbox.

I would rather not have Strahd back in any form though. I think he, like Dracula, is so familiar that he loses any ability to be frightening. And vampires are pretty pointless if you aren’t going to go into the fear-of-sex angle.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That’s bizarre. Why downplay the very obvious Curse of Strahd references?

The point of a joke is the audience puts the pieces together themselves. If you have to explain it it aint funny.

 

[Charlaquin]

The point of a joke is the audience puts the pieces together themselves. If you have to explain it it aint funny.

Was it supposed to be funny…?

 

[Benjamin Olson]

And I’m guessing the wizard is Mordenkainen.

I mean, we're clearly concluding he's a Wizard because he's got a Gandalf hat and beard. It seems strange to further extrapolate that he's Mordenkainen whose iconography does not include those things.

Honestly, considering the blue orb in his hands, I think he's the Orb Ponderer meme, which was originally Saruman, but has taken on a life of its own.

Which doesn't mean he's not Mordenkainen, just that if he is, he's crazy feral Barovia Mordenkainen pondering his orb. And also standing in for Santa. Busy guy.