D&D 5E (2024) So What Is Winter's Mysterious D&D "Season of Champions"?

As reported today, WotC has announced three 'seasons' for 2026's Dungeons & Dragons releases. These are the seasons of Horror, Magic, and Champions, respectively.

Summer's Season of Horror is focused on a Ravenloft sourcebook and accessories. Autumn's Season of Magic is a sourcebook called Arcana Unleashed, and an accompanying adventure.

And in Winter 2026 there is a mysterious "Season of Champions"--but we don't yet know what that is.

The two most popular guesses are the long-predicted Dark Sun content, or a martial-themed sourcebook to follow Arcana Unleashed.

What's your guess for Season of Champions, running from October 2026 through December?

 

[Superchunk77]

Isn't D&D about fantasy escapism? If the weather actually influenced my gaming purchases, I'd be way more interested in a book about a hot desert in the depths of winter.

Was just pointing out that it's a marketing gimmick.

 

[Azzy]

a martial-themed sourcebook to follow Arcana Unleashed.

I would definitely check that out if they did.

 

[Mistborn]

Do you think it’s going to be two books again? And why not Dragonlance, actually? For now, it looks like Wizards are just upgrading previously released settings to 5.5.

 

[Cergorach]

They could easily pocket Dark Sun until next year if they have something equally as impactful...

I wonder if WotC at this point would even do another full Dark Sun book? Yes it's rumoured, but rumours also can be wrong. What if it's a collection of classes, variants that could be used in other settings, including Dark Sun. At this point, i wouldn't be mad about it. And would just use the old stuff to build a campaign using 5.5e rules.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

While I've suggested Dark Sun elsewhere, here's an alternative take;

They're going to highlight "competitive" D&D in some fashion, either with a new rules supplement for PVP or a return to convention style "meat grinder" play that brought us the original Tomb of Horrors. 5e has existed long enough for a "meta" to form; let's test that!

 

[Uta-napishti]

"Champions of Athas" is the obvious title if it is Dark Sun. Otherwise, it could well be a generic Martials book consonant with the Magics book in the fall.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Do you think it’s going to be two books again? And why not Dragonlance, actually? For now, it looks like Wizards are just upgrading previously released settings to 5.5.

Yes and they've been testing Dark Sun content in UA.

If they're going to do Dragonlance again -- a book that sold only OK in 5E, as far as I recall -- it's in line behind Dark Sun.

 

[GarrettKP]

"Champions of Athas" is the obvious title if it is Dark Sun. Otherwise, it could well be a generic Martials book consonant with the Magics book in the fall.

Honestly it kinda fits the criteria for both ideas.

What better way to follow up on a High Magic book than Dark Sun, which is in many ways low magic.

 

[Azzu]

„Champions“ does not sound much like Dark Sun at all… and isn‘t that Lord Soth right there on right of the Calendar?

 

[Kilimanjaro]

Champions of Rajaat.