Wizards of the Coast Re-Registers Dark Sun With USPTO

Wizards of the Coast recently filed an application to register Dark Sun in the US, a sign that D&D could be bringing back the campaign setting in the near future. The trademark claim was filed on October 13th, 2025 and is poised to replace a previous trademark that was cancelled by the USPTO in 2024. The trademark, like most involving D&D properties, covers both "downloadable electronic games," "games and playthings," and "entertainment services." Similar active trademarks exist for other D&D campaign settings such as Spelljammer and Forgotten Realms, although neither of those have lapsed in recent years.

We'll note that, as the previous Dark Sun trademark lapsed a year ago, this could be a case of simple paperwork, or it could be the latest sign that a Dark Sun product is eminent. Earlier this year, Wizards released an Unearthed Arcana for the Psion class and several subclasses that all but spelled out a return to the setting, complete with mentions of sorcerer-kings, gladiatorial fights, and preservers and defilers.

 

[GreyLord]

how did 4e do it, did they rework classes and races? No idea, but I doubt it

Not really all that much. It was more flavor that they replaced. They had Two more classes (Muls and Thri-Keen), but otherwise rewrote the basic background and information for races differently.

Instead of classes they added Themes, which were portions you could add to your class with swap outs and other things. This is where you get your Templars, Gladiators, etc.

They were all themes.

I actually really liked the 4e DS, it was one of the main worlds we played in once it came out.

 

[sevenbastard]

I had a dream (vision?) last night that the Dark Sun book came with a reworked version of Lost Mines of Phandelver as the starting adventure.

Not going to happen, but it would be nice if WOTC would lean into the sandbox starting adventure to explore the setting.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I suspect if some videogame studio created a strategy videogame set in D&D and other created a mod to play in Athas we would notice the economy in the region of Tyr is radically different because there isn't enough metal and the water is too necessary and healing magic isn't easy to be found. This means a serious challenge for the military logistics.
And we can't forget the metaplot is too linked to the sorcerer-kings, specially in the highest levels. If several ones fell after the events of the novels then the gallery of "evil lords" is smaller. The same flaw than Dragonlance, to be too linked to metaplot.

The ts'a from Alternity/Star*Drive could be right for Athas if you want a softer tone but with more biopunk crunch.

Other idea is there is a secret realm where the githzerais are allied with gem dragons. They arrived from a planar gate found in a post-apocaliptic city of spires from an alternate timeline.

The Athasian giths would be wild but I would allow them to keep their dumbs but if they suffer some serious punishment or they failed some psionic regeneration test.

* Would a psi-artificer be possible in Athas? and a psi-forged?

 

[DEFCON 1]

Anyone who likes or dislikes Dark Sun should not want a 5E Dark Sun.

If you don't like Dark Sun... nothing in the new books would be so different as to give you a different opinion on the setting. You still won't like it.

If you do like Dark Sun... things will be changed just enough to fit a 21st century design paradigm that will go against a number of things you like about Dark Sun. And you thus won't like it.

Thus none of these people should be waiting or hoping for a 5E Dark Sun.

The people who will like Dark Sun will be the people who know little to nothing about the setting, have no preconceived notions about it, and will just read an interesting setting design style unlike anything else they have seen produced by WotC for 5th edition. It'll be new and different and for some people very, very intriguing.

That's who a potential new book will be for. And if by some random wild chance someone who does know original Dark Sun actually finds the new 5E Dark Sun book interesting and cool (despite the changes it invariably will have)... they can consider themselves unbelievably lucky. Because those folks seem to be rare.

 

[Parmandur]

Anyone who likes or dislikes Dark Sun should not want a 5E Dark Sun.

If you don't like Dark Sun... nothing in the new books would be so different as to give you a different opinion on the setting. You still won't like it.

If you do like Dark Sun... things will be changed just enough to fit a 21st century design paradigm that will go against a number of things you like about Dark Sun. And you thus won't like it.

Thus none of these people should be waiting or hoping for a 5E Dark Sun.

The people who will like Dark Sun will be the people who know little to nothing about the setting, have no preconceived notions about it, and will just read an interesting setting design style unlike anything else they have seen produced by WotC for 5th edition. It'll be new and different and for some people very, very intriguing.

That's who a potential new book will be for. And if by some random wild chance someone who does know original Dark Sun actually finds the new 5E Dark Sun book interesting and cool (despite the changes it invariably will have)... they can consider themselves unbelievably lucky. Because those folks seem to be rare.

People seem to forget, again and again,that the primary target audience is teenagers who are likely to not have been born when 4E Dark Sun was published, let alone 2E.

I mean, by next year, the target demographic is going to include people people who were born after 5E was published.

 

[Nikosandros]

People seem to forget, again and again,that the primary target audience is teenagers who are likely to not have been born when 4E Dark Sun was published, let alone 2E.

Forgetting makes the burden of my dotage a bit more bearable...

I mean, by next year, the target demographic is going to include people people who were born after 5E was published.

Now you ruined it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I had a dream (vision?) last night that the Dark Sun book came with a reworked version of Lost Mines of Phandelver as the starting adventure.

Not going to happen, but it would be nice if WOTC would lean into the sandbox starting adventure to explore the setting.

Even if Lost Mine itself would be a weird fit for Dark Sun, the structure of "small dungeon, hub safe space, quest board/sandbox play, final dungeon" is a good one that is a good model for starting many campaigns.

 

[bedir than]

Even if Lost Mine itself would be a weird fit for Dark Sun, the structure of "small dungeon, hub safe space, quest board/sandbox play, final dungeon" is a good one that is a good model for starting many campaigns.

I think Stormwreck may be a better version of Dark Sun.
Starts with a disaster
The hub town is tiny.
The environment matters a bit more.

 

[TiQuinn]

The people who will like Dark Sun will be the people who know little to nothing about the setting, have no preconceived notions about it, and will just read an interesting setting design style unlike anything else they have seen produced by WotC for 5th edition. It'll be new and different and for some people very, very intriguing.

Speaking as someone who has been a long time fan of Ravenloft going back to the 2e box set, and loved the updates from the Van Richten's Guide, I think that's a crock.

 

[Bladesinger]

Interestingly, there is a 'lite' conversion for Princes of the Apocalypse in the back of that adventure to run it in Dark Sun. That could be a good place for a starting campaign too.