D&D 5E (2024) Predict WotC's 2026 D&D releases

[Paul Farquhar]

… all written in invisible ink, to boot!

More seriously, I wonder if their recent experiences with printing and shipping delays have made them a little gun-shy about announcing new products before the books are actually coming off the printing press and getting loaded onto trucks.

This is my theory too. They know what products they are working on, but with all the uncertainty around printing and supply chains they are reluctant to announce them because they can’t be sure when they will be ready to ship.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

This is my theory too. They know what products they are working on, but with all the uncertainty around printing and supply chains they are reluctant to announce them because they can’t be sure when they will be ready to ship.

It honestly would be better for the industry (just not for us over-eager fans) if they left announcing stuff until 8-10 weeks before it ships. Which is pretty close to when it would need to be sent to the printers.

There's a reason why that is how things used to be done. For decades.

 

[Corinnguard]

If they do some sort of Forgotten Realms anthology, I would sell my soul/kidney for a Djerad Thymar adventure!! Not going to happen, but the offer is there.

Edit: Same with the Warlock Knights of Vaasa, BTW! I love those guys!!

Adventures of Faerun 2
Heroes of Faerun 2

We would need another thread to cover these two potential books.

 

[sevenbastard]

It honestly would be better for the industry (just not for us over-eager fans) if they left announcing stuff until 8-10 weeks before it ships. Which is pretty close to when it would need to be sent to the printers.

There's a reason why that is how things used to be done. For decades.

As a kid in the 90s I loved getting the little coming soon booklets when you bought something. Sure TSR was producing material at a wreckless pace and not everything in the books got made but it was exciting to see all the stuff and wonder about it.

 

[bedir than]

GaryCon and Winter Fantasy definitely qualify.

GaryCon is 90 days out. That feels too long for a first product announcement. It's timed well for demo games though.

Winter Fantasy is about six weeks out, which could be a nice time for teasers.

 

[Reynard]

It honestly would be better for the industry (just not for us over-eager fans) if they left announcing stuff until 8-10 weeks before it ships. Which is pretty close to when it would need to be sent to the printers.

There's a reason why that is how things used to be done. For decades.

I am certain it would not work for businesses, but I sure miss the days of walking into a store -- comic book, music, game, whatever -- and being confronted with something that I was not expecting or even know existed. We somehow managed to rob ourselves of that kind of surprise and wonder.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I am certain it would not work for businesses, but I sure miss the days of walking into a store -- comic book, music, game, whatever -- and being confronted with something that I was not expecting or even know existed. We somehow managed to rob ourselves of that kind of surprise and wonder.

I agree with you. Though that might be ultimately 'too little', what we are generally faced with these days is the opposite - far 'too much'.

We get told about movies, TV shows, games, and (to a lesser extent) comics so far ahead of time, that by the time they arrive, no one is talking about them anymore. We're talking about a project two or three steps further down the road.

While I am as interested to hear about the next thing as much as the next guy (probably more, as I am directly attached to these things) I really think that we need to tighten it up, for the sake of the industries involved, and even for the sake of the fandom.

We are all better off learning about something much closer to when it exists as something we can get our hands on.

 

[Kurotowa]

It honestly would be better for the industry (just not for us over-eager fans) if they left announcing stuff until 8-10 weeks before it ships. Which is pretty close to when it would need to be sent to the printers.

There's a reason why that is how things used to be done. For decades.

There's two hurdles with that. One is UA releases, and the other is internet leaks.

The UA testing process means that even when we don't know exactly what books are coming, we often have a really good idea. See: Apocalyptic Subclasses and Dark Sun. So people are going to make lists and set expectations, and by making official announcements WotC can at least try to set the expectations at a reasonable and accurate point.

Internet leaks are a sad fact of life these days. Half the video game big reveals get spoiled ahead of time because there's just so many people involved at so many levels that's it's super easy for something to slip out ahead of time, intentionally or otherwise. So again, by making an official announcement WotC can do it in a controlled way and with as accurate and up to date info as they have. Which is better than people forming half-assed opinions based on fragmentary leaks.

We're in the Information Age now, and that has its downsides. Trying to lock down any hint of the books until two months before release is a futile goal. Better to put out the information yourself, so that it's accurate and complete. Because incomplete rumors and misplaced expectations are even more damaging.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

There's two hurdles with that. One is UA releases, and the other is internet leaks.

The UA testing process means that even when we don't know exactly what books are coming, we often have a really good idea. See: Apocalyptic Subclasses and Dark Sun. So people are going to make lists and set expectations, and by making official announcements WotC can at least try to set the expectations at a reasonable and accurate point.

Internet leaks are a sad fact of life these days. Half the video game big reveals get spoiled ahead of time because there's just so many people involved at so many levels that's it's super easy for something to slip out ahead of time, intentionally or otherwise. So again, by making an official announcement WotC can do it in a controlled way and with as accurate and up to date info as they have. Which is better than people forming half-assed opinions based on fragmentary leaks.

We're in the Information Age now, and that has its downsides. Trying to lock down any hint of the books until two months before release is a futile goal. Better to put out the information yourself, so that it's accurate and complete. Because incomplete rumors and misplaced expectations are even more damaging.

Well, that IS a big problem, but I don't think that catering to it is the solution.

 

[Kurotowa]

Well, that IS a big problem, but I don't think that catering to it is the solution.

The older I get, the more often I tag things as the "least bad solution". It's imperfect, it has obvious downsides, but it's still better than the available alternatives. And while it's easy to point at the flaws, it's hard to offer up a better idea.

That's where I feel we are with this. Early product announcements are the least bad solution available at the moment.