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

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The biggest challenge the 2024 rules faced is that most players were happy enough with the 2014 rules. There certainly isn’t a demand for rules that are more different to the 2014 rules.

Well, there is, but that demand is largely met by playing something else at a time when we probably have more fantasy RPGs than any time in the hobby's history.

 

[Reynard]

The biggest challenge the 2024 rules faced is that most players were happy enough with the 2014 rules. There certainly isn’t a demand for rules that are more different to the 2014 rules.

The 2024 rules changes are not upgrades. They are just different, built to convince you to buy them, not that they are better. The "playtest" was just more marketing BS.

They could have just issued anniversary editions of the core books incorporating with new art and on created a rift, but some C suiter made a different assessment and decided to do half an edition.

Just baffling.

 

[mamba]

There certainly isn’t a demand for rules that are more different to the 2014 rules.

there certainly is, whether that is enough demand… I am hoping for a 6e ‘soon’, not expecting one, but 5.5 was a dud for me, a 6e might be of interest again, more 5.5 won’t be

 

[Argyle King]

Well, there is, but that demand is largely met by playing something else at a time when we probably have more fantasy RPGs than any time in the hobby's history.

I agree with a lot of this.

In the past 2-3 years, I've played a wider selection of games. I think the last time I played D&D was during the Covid lockdowns.

 

[Remathilis]

.They could have just issued anniversary editions of the core books incorporating with new art and on created a rift, but some C suiter made a different assessment and decided to do half an edition.

That was a a NEVER going to fly. Reprint the core books with new art and it would be labeled a soulless cash grab. You'd have to change the book to account for the new art and the minute you touch the PHB, people are going to demand functional errata. Races at the very least would need to be redone to have the ASI and proficiencies removed to match the MotM style of design. People would want the Fizban Dragonborn or the Tome of Foes tieflings. And then people would whine and complain they didn't fix the monk, the beastmaster, the sorcerer, the moon druid, etc. They would want the Tasha additions made core, and the level 1 feat added to the base backgrounds. And that's the bare minimum.

They could reprint the 2014 PHB as is with a new cover, but they minute you tinker with the pages you're going to get "5.5". Your options were a Core Rules Slipcase set with gold foil covers and exclusive new DM Screen art, or some type of 5.5.

 

[Reynard]

That was a a NEVER going to fly. Reprint the core books with new art and it would be labeled a soulless cash grab. You'd have to change the book to account for the new art and the minute you touch the PHB, people are going to demand functional errata. Races at the very least would need to be redone to have the ASI and proficiencies removed to match the MotM style of design. People would want the Fizban Dragonborn or the Tome of Foes tieflings. And then people would whine and complain they didn't fix the monk, the beastmaster, the sorcerer, the moon druid, etc. They would want the Tasha additions made core, and the level 1 feat added to the base backgrounds. And that's the bare minimum.

They could reprint the 2014 PHB as is with a new cover, but they minute you tinker with the pages you're going to get "5.5". Your options were a Core Rules Slipcase set with gold foil covers and exclusive new DM Screen art, or some type of 5.5.

I don't know. i think 5.5 which will eventually ask you to buy everything again is more of a cash grab.

 

[Remathilis]

I don't know. i think 5.5 which will eventually ask you to buy everything again is more of a cash grab.

I mean, so is a utterly incompatible 6e that forces you to start your collection over again. 5.5 was a compromise between trying to innovate enough to justify a new PHB without sacrificing sales of their settings and supplements.

 

[Marc17]

there certainly is, whether that is enough demand… I am hoping for a 6e ‘soon’, not expecting one, but 5.5 was a dud for me, a 6e might be of interest again, more 5.5 won’t be

I'm the opposite. A 5.75 would interest me more than a 6E. Some patches built ontop of everything else that was available would make it more of a full featured role playing game like I would want and probably within my liking. A 6E would probably just scrub everything back to another tactical medieval combat simulator, which is probably the least interesting part of the game for me for a long time. It would be another 6-12 years to build up all the other bits and subsystems to make the game playable again. As others have said, there are lots of other games out there at this point, and at least one of them will probably do what I want better than a new 6E with no extra bits.

Then there is D&D Beyond to consider. IIRC from earnings statements, subscriptions are a major income point now. A completely new 6E would mean a completely new rebuild of everything there for online play. One that might cause their currently subscribers drop. Really, I think that is the crux. They'll stick with the current system , but if DDB starts losing people and can't get them back then the game won't be a top tier game hasbro wants any more, and then they'll try a completely new game as a Hail Mary.

 

[mamba]

I'm the opposite. A 5.75 would interest me more than a 6E. Some patches built ontop of everything else that was available would make it more of a full featured role playing game like I would want and probably within my liking.

I am not expecting 6e to be a new foundation the way 3e and 4e were after their previous editions. I do however expect it to change more than 5.5 did and shed compatibility to a much larger degree.

A 6E would probably just scrub everything back to another tactical medieval combat simulator, which is probably the least interesting part of the game for me for a long time. It would be another 6-12 years to build up all the other bits and subsystems to make the game playable again. As others have said, there are lots of other games out there at this point, and at least one of them will probably do what I want better than a new 6E with no extra bits.

What you say about other games vs 6e is true for 5e subsystems as well. I don’t think there is much WotC can deliver that hasn’t already been created by a 3pp.

Then there is D&D Beyond to consider. IIRC from earnings statements, subscriptions are a major income point now. A completely new 6E would mean a completely new rebuild of everything there for online play.

yeah, that might be the anchor around the neck of D&D progress

In any case, I am not holding my breath for a 6e, I just lost interest in the glacial progress of 5e and after the experience with 2024 I am not waiting around for WotC to make what I would consider improvements to it, nor am I expecting that they actually will. They had their shot and they missed.

Maybe a 6e would manage to deliver something interesting, maybe not, but at least the option exists, I am not seeing that option in 5.5’s future