D&D 5E (2024) 2024 Player’s Handbook is ‘Fastest Selling D&D Book Ever’

It’s only officially been out for a week, but according to Wizards of the Coast, the new Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook has already surpassed Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything to become the fastest selling D&D book ever—in the entire 50-year history of the game. It has sold three times as many copies as the 2014 version of the books did at launch.

Not only that, the 2024 Player’s Handbook was the biggest print run in D&D’s history.

In a press release today, WotC claims more than 85 million D&D fans worldwide, and says that D&D Beyond, the game’s official online platform, has over 18 million users.

 

[bedir than]

This wierd take that it's only been on sale for a week, when it's actually been on sale since the spring

Are you including presales, but only for the 2024 book and never for any other 5e book?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

No shortage in Germany it seems.

When did they arrive, though? We had no shortage for three weeks (starting Sep 3) but now it's gone. Europe got them later, right?

 

[Hussar]

I know what story they want to tell, that DnD 2024 is a huge success. Good on them, I hope it is. I think what people are looking for is some kind of yardstick to understand what the uptake by the community is so we can align our time. Is it the 2nd edition slow burn? has everyone jumped ship at once?

Good grief. It's been less than 2 weeks. There isn't any story yet. Two weeks after 5e rolled out in 2014, we saw fantastic sales of D&D - because there hadn't been a new D&D book in TWO YEARS. Of course any sales looked absolutely fantastic because there was no yardstick. What became the jaw droppingly amazing story is that those fantastic sales continued for years and years and years.

But, right now? It's less than 2 weeks since the PHB dropped. We still have two more books to go. How many people are like me who are going to wait until their current campaign wraps up and then buy all three at once, hopefully in some sort of slip case?

The story here isn't the story right now. Who cares about right now? Hell, 4e was selling gangbusters 2 weeks after release. I know in these days of instant news, we all apparently have the attention spans of gerbils on speed, but, the story is still unfolding.

 

[OptionalRule]

Good grief. It's been less than 2 weeks. There isn't any story yet. Two weeks after 5e rolled out in 2014, we saw fantastic sales of D&D - because there hadn't been a new D&D book in TWO YEARS. Of course any sales looked absolutely fantastic because there was no yardstick. What became the jaw droppingly amazing story is that those fantastic sales continued for years and years and years.

But, right now? It's less than 2 weeks since the PHB dropped. We still have two more books to go. How many people are like me who are going to wait until their current campaign wraps up and then buy all three at once, hopefully in some sort of slip case?

The story here isn't the story right now. Who cares about right now? Hell, 4e was selling gangbusters 2 weeks after release. I know in these days of instant news, we all apparently have the attention spans of gerbils on speed, but, the story is still unfolding.

Got it. WotC introduces the topic, and you are confused why people are talking about it. Shocking I know.

 

[Hussar]

Got it. WotC introduces the topic, and you are confused why people are talking about it. Shocking I know.

No. WotC said a pretty clear statement. No book has sold as fast as this one. They have said nothing about anything else. Just that the book is selling really, really quickly. You apparently want to spin that somehow into WotC being dishonest or not being clear or trying to drum up some sort of nefarious meaning here. But, again, we see it doesn't matter what WotC says.

 

[mykesfree]

What is interesting to me is that on Amazon, the book was changed to a toy listing instead of a book listing. So all of the metrics for measuring sales can only come from WotC now as there used to be outside systems you could look up the sales and compare.

Also not making the Book an official Book product takes away any chance for the book to be eligible to win any book accolades it might have won for its production value or any other merits it might have received.

But hey it is a toy now, which makes more sense for Hasbro.

 

[Zardnaar]

What is interesting to me is that on Amazon, the book was changed to a toy listing instead of a book listing. So all of the metrics for measuring sales can only come from WotC now as there used to be outside systems you could look up the sales and compare.

Also not making the Book an official Book product takes away any chance for the book to be eligible to win any book accolades it might have won for its production value or any other merits it might have received.

But hey it is a toy now, which makes more sense for Hasbro.

Amazon sales position never really meant much without hard numbers. We already knew 5E was doing well.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

When did they arrive, though? We had no shortage for three weeks (starting Sep 3) but now it's gone. Europe got them later, right?

I got mine before actual release date. 2 weeks ago or so.

 

[mykesfree]

Amazon sales position never really meant much without hard numbers. We already knew 5E was doing well.

Yes Amazon sales position never really means much without the hard numbers, but the book industry has sources to track actual sales that others could look at. Unless you are in the Toy Industry do you have access to those numbers.

 

[Parmandur]

What is interesting to me is that on Amazon, the book was changed to a toy listing instead of a book listing. So all of the metrics for measuring sales can only come from WotC now as there used to be outside systems you could look up the sales and compare.

Also not making the Book an official Book product takes away any chance for the book to be eligible to win any book accolades it might have won for its production value or any other merits it might have received.

But hey it is a toy now, which makes more sense for Hasbro.

Well, yes, game books are toys...

But I would suspect thst this change is not about frustrating us forunites who like to watch numbers, but is perhaps a result if the measures WotC has taken in their distribution rules to prevent Amazon from underselling other sellers. We don't know exactly what measures they took, but Word in the Street is that they have done something, and now Amazon is not underselling the MSRP. The category change may be part of that.