D&D General 2024 official book release dates...

[Paul Farquhar]

Doesn't WotC print in the US? My memory seems to think so, but may be mistaken.

So they say, but they still need ink and paper, and they aim for simultaneous release in Europe (which is not in the US).

It's all dependant upon global supply chains, and global supply chains are all messed up. One of the reasons they are pushing digital.

 

[teitan]

I mean, I've pointed out the evidence, which to me seems pretty obvious and clear. This is the events, in order: 1) They were asked if the books would come out together. They answered that it was impossible under current printer line ups given the size of their print runs. Then 2) They dud an event where they promoted upcoming books, in which they showed some art from the PHB (which included a page from the fighter) and announced the long rumored Vecna book. 3) After which, they tweeted Vecna "Coming May 2024"; 4) Then they tweeted the fighter page with the text "Core Books coming May 2024". 5) They retracted those tweets.

What do you think is more likely: 1) They cut and pasted the text from the bottom of the Vecna Tweet for the following Core book tweet and took it down when they saw the mistake; OR 2) They found a way to print 4 books (a feat they declared impossible) and plan to put them out all at once, but don't want us to know that for some "surprise" reason.

I have been selling D&D books, partnered with WotC, for 30 years. My experience tells me that the odds that TWO books dropping at the same time (Say, Vecna and the PHB) is not zero, but near it, and the odds of all 4 books IS zero. I understood the Core Books tweet to be a mistake the moment that I saw it. Well before they pulled the tweet. I was utterly unsurprised when the tweets were pulled. I'm not 100% sure that the PHB won't ship in May, but I am 99% sure that it won't and 100% sure that the DMG and MM will not.

You can choose to believe me or not. But I am not speaking from a position of ignorance, nor am I just another poster on the subject. I speak from decades of experience combined with looking at the evidence.

We shall see.

Ahem... Tyranny of Dragons and the PHB dropped at the same time.

 

[Parmandur]

What do you think is more likely: 1) They cut and pasted the text from the bottom of the Vecna Tweet for the following Core book tweet and took it down when they saw the mistake; OR 2) They found a way to print 4 books (a feat they declared impossible) and plan to put them out all at once, but don't want us to know that for some "surprise" reason.

Honestly, what I find moat likely is that they are dripping the PHB and Vecna same day, which they did wirh Hoard of the Dragon Queem and the PHB ten years ago, and simultaneously to that dropping the new SRD. The date provided I think ia their actual target, but rather than copy-pasta I think there was a missed memo on when dates would be announced.

 

[Parmandur]

So they say, but they still need ink and paper, and they aim for simultaneous release in Europe (which is not in the US).

It's all dependant upon global supply chains, and global supply chains are all messed up. One of the reasons they are pushing digital.

I mean, they don't juat "say" That, the books are usually printed in the US (sometimes China, it is a mix). There are pretty serious laws in the US about labeling like that.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Ahem... Tyranny of Dragons and the PHB dropped at the same time.

That's still just two books. I do think an adventure and the PHB dropping together is a lot more likely than four books dropping at once, which only would make whales happy. Lots of retailers and many customers would balk at that.

I suspect even WotC wouldn't want that, because they don't want some of the new core books to look like financial losers when many customers will want to stagger their spending a bit more than that.

 

[Clint_L]

That's still just two books. I do think an adventure and the PHB dropping together is a lot more likely than four books dropping at once, which only would make whales happy. Lots of retailers and many customers would balk at that.

I suspect even WotC wouldn't want that, because they don't want some of the new core books to look like financial losers when many customers will want to stagger their spending a bit more than that.

I agree. The PHB is always the priority, and the revised stuff works fine with the current MM so it's not urgent. We've already been without a functioning DMG for 10 years; what's a few more months?

PHB plus an adventure makes the most sense and doesn't overstretch wallets.

 

[Queer Venger]

Im really hoping for PHB and Vecna as first release, though my forever DM heart longs for the MM close second

 

[teitan]

That's still just two books. I do think an adventure and the PHB dropping together is a lot more likely than four books dropping at once, which only would make whales happy. Lots of retailers and many customers would balk at that.

I suspect even WotC wouldn't want that, because they don't want some of the new core books to look like financial losers when many customers will want to stagger their spending a bit more than that.

They dropped 4e and Keep on the Shadowfell in one day.

 

[teitan]

I agree. The PHB is always the priority, and the revised stuff works fine with the current MM so it's not urgent. We've already been without a functioning DMG for 10 years; what's a few more months?

PHB plus an adventure makes the most sense and doesn't overstretch wallets.

The 5e DMG is fine. The magic items etc are all in it and the rules modules as well. People use a lot more of the DMG than they realize.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

They dropped 4e and Keep on the Shadowfell in one day.

OK. This is going to be a dramatically bigger print run, more expensive books and with a lot more eyeballs on it, and in a different book distribution landscape.

None of us on this thread know for sure what will happen until it's announced and then actually achieved. (The Book of Many Things shows that things don't always go as planned.)

I expect we'll start hearing official word soon, as the book supply chain will need to start gearing up at some point.