D&D's Lack of 2026 Announcements Actually Follows Precedent

Dungeons & Dragons fans seem to have short memories based on the number of speculative articles wondering why Wizards of the Coast hasn't announced any new books for next year. Over the past few weeks, various D&D blogs have speculated about the lack of 2026 announcements. Yes, Wizards of the Coast has underwent some internal turmoil this year, with a number of higher-ups tied to D&D leaving the company and replacements only named relatively recently. And yes, Wizards of the Coast was also hit by a series of delays for various books, with Eberron: Forge of the Artificer bouncing from a summer 2025 release to December due to a printing defect. However, neither of these are likely the reason why Wizards hasn't announced their 2026 slate. In fact, all one has to do is look at the timing of the 2025 announcements to take a deep breath.

Entering 2025, Dungeons & Dragons players only knew of one confirmed release - the 2025 Monster Manual tied to the core rulebooks. A D&D Direct in August 2024 revealed some rough timelines for two other D&D products, but specifics weren't revealed at that time. The rest of the 2025 D&D slate was announced at an embargoed press conference held at Wizards of the Coast's Renton headquarters in January 2025. Most major nerd press outlets, including EN World, were invited to the event. At the event, Dragon Delves, Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, and the Forgotten Realms books were all announced, as was the Starter Set box. The Stranger Things book was also teased as a "mystery" product.

Based on Unearthed Arcana playtests, it appears that the 2026 books will include a Dark Sun book featuring a new Psion class (the first new D&D class in over five years) and a book featuring several arcane subclasses. Wizards has also yet to release a campaign adventure based on the 2024 ruleset. However, the lack of any announcements shouldn't be concerning at all, as this is precisely what Wizards did in 2025 as well.

We'll also point out that D&D has a relatively new marketing manager (Blain Howard, who replaced Greg Tito) and a new PR firm (Tara Bruno PR, replacing 360 PR) for the D&D tabletop group, so any lack of announcements such as the lack of a D&D Direct may be tied to a retooled marketing strategy rather than any other prognosticator of other factors.

 

[Starmaster]

I've said this many times before. I really miss and enjoyed the old TSR/WotC yearly product catalogs. It was a lot more fun to me seeing what was coming out for the year rather than the teases and staggered release announcements. I remember waiting for months for some 2E and 3E products, anticipating the campaigns I might run with them.

TSR used to produce what were called "Master Catalogs" that were only available to shop owners (although they published a hardcover edition that consumers could buy for the 1993 year). These would contain all products for the entire year with descriptions, order numbers, prices, pre-production photos and such. Of course, things would change over the course of the year, with items dropped, new ones added, release dates changing, but that was okay. This was a separate item from the small quarterly catalogs that they would sometimes include in their boxed sets. Because I bought so much stuff at the local game shops, they would let me borrow their copy of the Master Catalog each year long enough for me to run to the nearest photocopying machine and make a copy for myself. Ahhh, those were the days.

 

[sevenbastard]

Wellllllll seeing this is the internet and all the fact that you are technically correct means little on my opinion of the whole thing. I want to be outraged and form a conspiracy theory without facts getting in the way.

In fact, all one has to do is look at the timing of the 2025 announcements to take a deep breath.

Sure the internet hold all the information at our fingertips but why would we use it to verify anything before we jump to conclusion and share them publicly?

What's next you will want us to use Math and the Scientific Method?

 

[R_J_K75]

Because I bought so much stuff at the local game shops, they would let me borrow their copy of the Master Catalog each year long enough for me to run to the nearest photocopying machine and make a copy for myself.

Same here, but I frequented and patronized enough local game stores at the time before they started posting the releases online that they'd just give them to me.

 

[Charlaquin]

Is there anyone who actually thinks the lack of announcements is indicative of a lack of upcoming products? Cause right now it looks to me like there are some people saying “there have been a number of staffing shakeups and product delays lately, which might be causing WotC to change strategy relative to the past few years and go back to announcing things closer to their actual release dates like the standard practice used to be,” and other people saying “OMG calm down; announcing things closer to their actual release dates used to be standard practice up until the last couple years. I’m sure they’re just going back to that after the recent product delays and staffing shakeups.”

Everyone is just making the same points past each other. The people panicking that there won’t be any product releases for the first half of 2026 are a boogeyman, nobody actually holds that belief.

 

[Parmandur]

I mean, is anyone really looking back at 2025 as a good year overall for Wizards when it comes to DnD marketing and it's reception?

I mean, it was kind of a great year for the D&D team...?

 

[Charlaquin]

Wellllllll seeing this is the internet and all the fact that you are technically correct means little on my opinion of the whole thing. I want to be outraged and form a conspiracy theory without facts getting in the way.



Sure the internet hold all the information at our fingertips but why would we use it to verify anything before we jump to conclusion and share them publicly?

What's next you will want us to use Math and the Scientific Method?

Who is doing this? Seriously, I’ve seen a lot of people wagging their fingers at phantoms for jumping to conclusions, but no one actually jumping to those conclusions.

 

[Starmaster]

Same here, but I frequented and patronized enough local game stores at the time before they started posting the releases online that they'd just give them to me.

Same here! But the stores I frequented would only get one or two copies and they used them to plan out their orders, so I'd my photocopy copy would have to do until the end of the year. Then, at year's end, when they didn't need the catalog any more, they would give me one of their copies.

 

[R_J_K75]

Same here! But the stores I frequented would only get one or two copies and they used them to plan out their orders, so I'd my photocopy copy would have to do until the end of the year. Then, at year's end, when they didn't need the catalog any more, they would give me one of their copies.

Its been so long, it was probably a mix of getting some given to me and looking at them in the stores. I think when I sold some RPGs to Noble Knight about 2002-2003, they bought those old catalogs from me.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

So when it comes to announcements there are three very important channels that need to be informed, and they have differing timeline needs.

There's the hobby channel, that Fitz is part of, that likes to be notified 2-3 months in advance. Typically from their distributors.

There's the book channel. When I managed/was buyer for a book store, we would be talking with our publisher reps two seasons in advance - so for Fall releases, we'd be chatting in the spring.

And finally mass market channel, which would include toy stores (are there any of those left any more?), Target, WalMart, etc. that are focused on the holiday season, and are ordering for the holiday season in January/February, maybe into March.

So from my perspective, not yet announcing might mean WotC is focused on their hobby partners more than their book or mass market partners; OR their mass market and publishing (Penguin/Random House iirc) have already been informed but are embargoed from discussing yet.

Someone - maybe it was @darjr or @Parmandur - was an expert at tracking down product listings on Amazon and informing us all. Because Amazon usually receives their info either through the mass market or book channels.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Is there anyone who actually thinks the lack of announcements is indicative of a lack of upcoming products?

It’s a sign that WotC know the world is scheduled to end in fraction over five days, and therefore there is no point in making any products for next year.