D&D 5E WotC: 5 D&D Settings In Development?

WotC's Ray Winninger spoke a little about some upcoming D&D settings -- two classic settings are coming in 2022 in formats we haven't seen before, and two brand new (not Magic: the Gathering) settings are also in development, as well as return to a setting they've already covered in 5E. He does note, however, that of the last three, there's a chance of one or more not making it to release, as they develop more than they use.

Two classic settings? What could they be?​

So that's:

• 2 classic settings in 2022 (in a brand new format)
• 2 brand new settings
• 1 returning setting

So the big questions -- what are the two classic settings, and what do they mean by a format we haven't seen before? Winninger has clarified on Twitter that "Each of these products is pursuing a different format you've never seen before. And neither is "digital only;" these are new print formats."

As I've mentioned on a couple of occasions, there are two more products that revive "classic" settings in production right now.

The manuscript for the first, overseen by [Chris Perkins], is nearly complete. Work on the second, led by [F. Wesley Schneider] with an assist from [Ari Levitch], is just ramping up in earnest. Both are targeting 2022 and formats you've never seen before.

In addition to these two titles, we have two brand new [D&D] settings in early development, as well as a return to a setting we've already covered. (No, these are not M:tG worlds.)

As I mentioned in the dev blog, we develop more material than we publish, so it's possible one or more of these last three won't reach production. But as of right now, they're all looking great.

Of course the phrase "two more products that revive 'classic' settings" could be interpreted in different ways. It might not be two individual setting books.

 

[darjr]

Not a book or box set?!?

Brain Implant!

 

[darjr]

What would Chris pick to work on for a classic setting?!

 

[Kurotowa]

Well, that's a lot of tantalizing hints without clear answers. "Both are targeting 2022 and formats you've never seen before." A new format for setting books? That will be interesting, and isn't something we can speculate on effectively, what with being new. "two brand new #DND settings in early development, as well as a return to a setting we've already covered. (No, these are not M:tG worlds.)" Entirely new settings that aren't MtG ports is also a first for 5e, and again it's hard to speculate with any real basis. About the only thing we can make any reasoned guesses about is the return to a previously covered setting. So let's do that!

It won't be Ravenloft, since that just came out. It's not a MtG setting, according to the tweet. So that just leaves Forgotten Realms and Eberron, right? And as much as I am an Eberron fan I sort of suspect it'll be a more proper FR setting book, to fully sunset Sword Coast. Something more substantive and done in the modern style and with appropriate updating of the material.

 

[Marc Radle]

“ … and in formats you've never seen before.” doesn’t exactly fill me with excitement …

I really hope this didn’t mean they are going to try some new online only, or hybrid print / online model or something.

 

[billd91]

I'm hoping it'll be in the format of interpretive dance.

 

[R_J_K75]

“ … and in formats you've never seen before.” doesn’t exactly fill me with excitement …

I really hope this didn’t mean they are going to try some new online only, or hybrid print / online model or something.

This was my initial thought too. I really hope its not some digital only format. I have zero interest in anything of that sort.

 

[Zaukrie]

I wonder if anyone will read the part where we MIGHT NOT get all those?

In a format we haven't seen before? Gotta be something electronic? A self contained game and book? I'm really unable to think of a format we haven't seen before, so it is likely something smaller than something totally different.....

 

[Kurotowa]

“ … and in formats you've never seen before.” doesn’t exactly fill me with excitement …

I really hope this didn’t mean they are going to try some new online only, or hybrid print / online model or something.

That would be medium, not format. I believe that by "new format" it means breaking away from the traditional content breakdown where a majority of the book is a gazetteer of important people and places, sandwiched between some new character options in the front and some new monster entries in the back. That's been the style of setting books for a very long time, and I can easily see them feeling like it isn't optimizing page allocation for what players and DMs actually use from the books.

Or I could be wrong and it's a new multimedia digital crossover release. We'll see in time.

 

[overgeeked]

So that's basically confirmation that the mystery book this year is not a classic setting. So it's probably the Dragonomicon that everyone's been guessing since the dragon UA dropped.

The "never seen before format" is not a confidence boost. My luck it will be a collectible card set. Or a boardgame. Sorry, Ray. I want a book, a boxed set, and/or a PDF.