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.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

any tiny bit of good the PCs get up to is like a shining beacon in the dark

That’s not grimdark. In grimdark every attempt to do good and make things better ends up making things worse instead. See Game of Thones. It’s not that the world is dark - it may not be particularly - it’s that good can’t win.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But, given it's WotC we're talking about

You say that like you think that a company not putting your desires ahead of everyone else is a terrible thing.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Dark Sun is anti-D&D

Really, no. This is a prime example of someone putting their own interpretation on something with no supporting evidence in the text and claiming it is the one true interpretation.

It was just an attempt to put John Carter back into D&D after it had been stripped out for intellectual property reasons. Maybe a bit anti-Tolkiesque generic fantasy I guess, but still very much D&D as it was originally envisioned.

 

[Nicholas Reed]

I think Baldur's Gate 3 and the continued popularity of gritty and mature RPGs kind of blow up the whole "modern audiences are too weak for Dark Sun" argument. Curse of Strahd is still the most popular 5E adventure, after all. The two new Forgotten Realms books didn't make any effort to "sanitize" the setting. Why would Dark Sun?

 

[Nicholas Reed]

This is completely my own baseless speculation, but I think there is a big fish in the pond that is inspiring WotC on how and why to bring back Dark Sun, and it's name is Fallout. War, war never changes.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This is completely my own baseless speculation, but I think there is a big fish in the pond that is inspiring WotC on how and why to bring back Dark Sun, and it's name is Fallout. War, war never changes.

Possibly, but I think it has more to do with Dune.

But Fallout was originally supposed to be a Gamma World CRPG but couldn't get the licence, and the original Dark Sun incorporated elements from Gamma World, so they have always been close cousins.

 

[Superchunk77]

I think Baldur's Gate 3 and the continued popularity of gritty and mature RPGs kind of blow up the whole "modern audiences are too weak for Dark Sun" argument. Curse of Strahd is still the most popular 5E adventure, after all. The two new Forgotten Realms books didn't make any effort to "sanitize" the setting. Why would Dark Sun?

CoS was written back when WotC had some actual talent though. And it still ended up getting a sanitized version when WotC went full on Radiant Citadel. Add to that the absolute dumpster fire that was Van Richtens Guide.

 

[mamba]

Add to that the absolute dumpster fire that was Van Richtens Guide.

If the new DS is as good an update as VRG was, then it will be just fine…

 

[Chaltab]

I just don't think it's possible to do it justice. t's pretty tough to die in 5e which is sort of antithetical to the feel of the setting. Some people have also said the lore is problematic, so it would be changed. I would be interested to see what they do with it, but expect I would be disappointed.

I just don't think that bears up. I once killed three characters in a single adventure, two in the same boss fight, in an adventure that wasn't supposed to be that difficult.

For 4e, Goliaths are not Half-Giants, for example. I expect they would continue to lean into that

They are, though? That's exactly what they did in 4E. Did you mean to type 'now' instead of 'not'?

 

[Zardnaar]

I just don't think that bears up. I once killed three characters in a single adventure, two in the same boss fight, in an adventure that wasn't supposed to be that difficult.

They are, though? That's exactly what they did in 4E. Did you mean to type 'now' instead of 'not'?

What level?

Were your players bad@game by any chance?