Eberron: Forge of the Artificer Delayed Until December

Eberron: Forge of the Artificer will now launch in December 2025 due to a cover defect. Wizards of the Coast announced that the upcoming Eberron: Forge of the Artificer rulebook is being delayed for several months after warping was discovered on the covers of published books. The entire original print run of the book is being recalled and reprinted ahead of its release, which means that the production process will be extended by several months.

As a result of the production delay, the book will now be released on December 9, 2025, with early access happening two weeks prior. To make up for the delay, both digital and physical customers who pre-ordered their books as a WPN store will receive an Eberron mini-adventure when they receive their book.

A similar delay took place in October 2023 when the Deck of Many Things product was recalled due to faulty product just two weeks before its initial release. That was re-released in January 2024.

 

[Juomari Veren]

That's fine, this goes from a midsummer impulse buy to a perfectly timed Christmas present for fellow D&D players. Shame it went from predating the starter set (which is not that hotly in demand as a splatbook, especially since this one is cheaper than a normal product AND the starter set is more expensive this time around), to following up two consecutive books coming out the month before (the FR guides). Not that product bloat has been an issue like it was in editions past, but the quick turnaround makes it that much harder to justify purchasing everything in a timely manner.

 

[Remathilis]

Isn't that what happened with the Deck of Many Things? While they released both, the print issues resulted in the digital one being the only one available for months

Sorta. The Deck itself has print issues and it was the premiere part of the package, not the book itself. So while the game rules book (the one with monsters, maps and options) was released early, the main attraction (the cards and the lorebook attached to them) were still only available in paper. If all you wanted was the rulebook (and didn't care about the cards or lore) you were always better off buying the Beyond version due to the price difference. If you wanted the cards and total package, you needed to wait to buy you paper version regardless.

Forge of the Artificer isn't the same kind of product. The selling point is the lore so a Beyond sale potentially cannibalizes a book sale. There is no advantage to buying one over the other in terms of material.

So WotC was confident that people who were going to buy just the rules were going to opt for the digital and those who wanted the cards were going to buy the paper version, but it knows that people who may have bought the paper version if FotA might buy the digital now that it had a 5 month exclusivity window. That would have been a bad look.

I think the better example might be how Monsters of the Multiverse was a box set exclusive for several months before the standalone was released. Even that is not a perfect parallel, but it's closer.

 

[DragonBlood472]

View attachment 411737​

Eberron: Forge of the Artificer will now launch in December 2025 due to a cover defect. Wizards of the Coast announced that the upcoming Eberron: Forge of the Artificer rulebook is being delayed for several months after warping was discovered on the covers of published books. The entire original print run of the book is being recalled and reprinted ahead of its release, which means that the production process will be extended by several months.

As a result of the production delay, the book will now be released on December 9, 2025, with early access happening two weeks prior. To make up for the delay, both digital and physical customers who pre-ordered their books as a WPN store will receive an Eberron mini-adventure when they receive their book.

A similar delay took place in October 2023 when the Deck of Many Things product was recalled due to faulty product just two weeks before its initial release. That was re-released in January 2024.

This is their chance to hide the real reason for the pull and get rid of warforged noses...

 

[DragonBlood472]

View attachment 411737​

Eberron: Forge of the Artificer will now launch in December 2025 due to a cover defect. Wizards of the Coast announced that the upcoming Eberron: Forge of the Artificer rulebook is being delayed for several months after warping was discovered on the covers of published books. The entire original print run of the book is being recalled and reprinted ahead of its release, which means that the production process will be extended by several months.

As a result of the production delay, the book will now be released on December 9, 2025, with early access happening two weeks prior. To make up for the delay, both digital and physical customers who pre-ordered their books as a WPN store will receive an Eberron mini-adventure when they receive their book.

A similar delay took place in October 2023 when the Deck of Many Things product was recalled due to faulty product just two weeks before its initial release. That was re-released in January 2024.

The adventure is a nice addition/consolation prize.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

That's fine, this goes from a midsummer impulse buy to a perfectly timed Christmas present for fellow D&D players. Shame it went from predating the starter set (which is not that hotly in demand as a splatbook, especially since this one is cheaper than a normal product AND the starter set is more expensive this time around), to following up two consecutive books coming out the month before (the FR guides). Not that product bloat has been an issue like it was in editions past, but the quick turnaround makes it that much harder to justify purchasing everything in a timely manner.

This year is so crazily back loaded.

First 3 quarters of the year, MM, Dragon Delve, and Starter Set.

Last Quarter of the Year October Surprise (probably Ravenloft), November 2 big FR books, and December Eberron. We've gotten less in some years then in Q4 2025.

 

[Starmaster]

Last Quarter of the Year October Surprise (probably Ravenloft)

Ravenloft is a good guess given the October timing, but I've got a hunch it may instead be another "Stranger Things" tie-in due to the final season being released the following month and the fact that they released a starter set tie-in a few years ago. Perhaps a studio licensing contract requires it to be kept secret for now.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Isn't that what happened with the Deck of Many Things? While they released both, the print issues resulted in the digital one being the only one available for months

They seemed to weather that ok.

 

[pukunui]

This is a bit of a bummer cos my artificer player is the only one still waiting for a revised version of his class ... but I'm glad that WotC is being proactive about this, and I'm sure December will come around before we know it! I mean, we're already over halfway through 2025 now!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Last Quarter of the Year October Surprise

I'm pretty certain this is delayed/cancelled, and the surprise is there is no October release.

If the printers are busy frantically reprinting Eberron, then they can't be printing an October book, can they?

Limited print capacity is going to make it difficult to get the FR books out on time too.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

They seemed to weather that ok.

I assume the printer shouldered at least part of the cost. But I don't think Deck sold particularly well - quite possibly because it ended up too close to the 2024 revised rules.