D&D (2024) WotC Reveals The Confirmed Release Dates of 2024's D&D Slate

We now have the actual release dates of the upcoming slate of Dungeons & Dragons books, as shared by WotC via a press release emailed out a few minutes ago.

• Vecna: Eve of Ruin (May 21)
• The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977 (June 18)
• Quests from the Infinite Staircase (July 16)
• Player’s Handbook (Sept 17)
• Dungeons Master’s Guide (Nov 12)
• Monster Manual (Feb. 18, 2025)

Vecna: Eve of Ruin

• Adventure Campaign
• For characters of levels 10-20
• A high-stakes adventure in which the fate of the entire multiverse hangs in the balance. The heroes begin in the Forgotten Realms and travel to Planescape, Spelljammer, Eberron, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and Greyhawk as they race to save existence from obliteration by the notorious lich Vecna who is weaving a ritual to eliminate good, obliterate the gods, and subjugate all worlds.
• Release Date: May 21, 2024

The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977

• History of D&D
• The ultimate book showcasing D&D’s inception, including Gary Gygax’s never-before-seen first draft of D&D written in 1973, a curated collection of published fanzine and magazine articles contribute to D&D’s origin story. Each document is introduced, described, and woven into the story by one of the game’s foremost historians, Jon Peterson.
• Release Date: June 18, 2024

Quests from the Infinite Staircase

• Adventure Anthology
• For character levels 1 to 13.
• This anthology weaves together six classic DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventures while updating them for the game’s fifth edition. The Infinite Staircase holds doors leading to fantastic realms. It’s home to the noble genie Nafas, who hears wishes made throughout the multiverse and recruits heroes to fulfill them.
• Release Date: July 16, 2024

Player’s Handbook (2024)

• Player resource
• Take your game to the next level with the revised 2024 Player's Handbook. More player options, enhanced organization, and engaging additions to the fifth edition rules, make this a must have for your next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
• Release Date: September 17, 2024

Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024)

• DM resource
• It's never been easier to become the Dungeon Master than with the revised 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. Learn the craft from the experts in a cleverly crafted and accessible approach to running your own game. With more tools than ever before, becoming the master of your own multiverse will be a snap.
• Release Date: November 12, 2024

Monster Manual (2025)

• DM Resource
• The revised 2025 Monster Manual brings you the greatest selection of foes to face off with your player's characters than ever assembled in the history of the game. More options at all levels of play means more ways to provide the challenges that will keep them coming back to the table again and again.
• Release Date: February 18, 2025

 

[Scott Christian]

The releases of new core books have always been staggered, throughout every edition. The D&D team is too small to create all three books at the same time. WotC also bragged that this time, the print runs for the books will be so large that they can't be released simultaneously.

Thank you. The print side makes perfect sense.

 

[mamba]

Am I wrong in thinking that the adoption of the 2024 edition be larger if all the books came out at the same time?

I think you are wrong, it might have some impact between September 24 and March 25, but in the grand scheme of things I do not think it makes a difference.

It might delay some transitions, but it is not preventing any.

This seems like a really odd choice to me, to have the PHB come out 5 months prior to the MM.

they did the same with past versions and explained that (at least in part) this is due to printing capacity

The PHB is the most important change in a way, as it is more player facing than the rest. You can transition to the new PHB and keep playing with the 2014 DMG and MM. You can also do the opposite, but then you have to wait until 2025.

 

[Nikosandros]

Volumes 5 & 6 of OAR consisted of Temple of Elemental Evil in two parts, which wouldn't work here. And we do know that one is Tsojcanth, which Goodman Games didn't use.

OAR 5 is Castle Amber.

 

[Parmandur]

Yes; I’m wondering, if those two are in this book, whether they will be new versions or just reprints of the OAR versions (since WorC presumably owns those.) S3 does seem a much more likely candidate for inclusion than T1.

Ah, I see. Pribavly not, since those all involved major expansions of the modules into APs, basically, whereas the Hawning Portal approach has been to keep the smaller modular nature intact.

 

[Parmandur]

Am I wrong in thinking that the adoption of the 2024 edition be larger if all the books came out at the same time? This seems like a really odd choice to me, to have the PHB come out 5 months prior to the MM.

3 factors make this not concerning:

First, basically all editions of D&D have had staggered releases. Didn't hurt 5E in 2014 to not have the DMG until six months after the Starter Set was in my hands.

Second, the new rules are interoperable with the 2014 books. So there won't be a problem using the older 2014 Monster Manual with PCs from the new PHB. Mixing and matching is part of the design intention.

Third and most importantly, their primary audience for sales ia not existing players, it's teenagers. Hence why the PHB is dropping at the beginning of the School year, the power slot for D&D releases every year.

 

[GreyLord]

These dates line up with what I've been expecting since WotC first mentioned that "the Anniversary will continue into 2025". The ONLY detail that differs is I thought that the DMG and the MM would be the other way around.

Quoting from a long way back in the thread, but I think the reasoning MAY be that this printing or version of D&D is fully compatible with the printings prior to it going back for the past 10 years.

This means all the monsters can be used as is, whereas the bigger changes that will be seen probably will be in the PHB and the DMG. This is also why they may sell better during the upcoming holiday season, while the MM will be afterwards during what some say are dead months typically.

I also think that while these dates are pretty set, there could be some revisions to them as time gets closer.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Quoting from a long way back in the thread, but I think the reasoning MAY be that this printing or version of D&D is fully compatible with the printings prior to it going back for the past 10 years.

This means all the monsters can be used as is, whereas the bigger changes that will be seen probably will be in the PHB and the DMG. This is also why they may sell better during the upcoming holiday season, while the MM will be afterwards during what some say are dead months typically.

I also think that while these dates are pretty set, there could be some revisions to them as time gets closer.

Yeah, it's likely, given their statements on the printing process (IE that they couldn't print all 3 books together if they tried) that ONE of the books had to give (when it came to getting them out this year) and they CHOSE the MM as the one that was the least necessary, both for play, and for expected Christmas sales. I can see this being the case, in particular if they're very proud of their new DMG (which I have the feeling they are).

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, it's likely, given their statements on the printing process (IE that they couldn't print all 3 books together if they tried) that ONE of the books had to give (when it came to getting them out this year) and they CHOSE the MM as the one that was the least necessary, both for play, and for expected Christmas sales. I can see this being the case, in particular if they're very proud of their new DMG (which I have the feeling they are).

The Monster Manual is likely release window proof: people always love Bestiaries.

 

[Zaukrie]

The Monster Manual is likely release window proof: people always love Bestiaries.

I might not buy this one, for the first time ever. It's got to be more interesting fluff and combat ability wise, for me this time.

 

[Parmandur]

Basked on the

I might not buy this one, for the first time ever. It's got to be more interesting fluff and combat ability wise, for me this time.

MotM regime, I expect it to be an improvement, and they are adding a poo]-ton of new blocks on top of tweaking the existing ones.

Also, the bits of art they have released have been lit.