The D&D release schedule for the next year is not just small, it's non-existent. We've got no idea what Wizards of the Coast will put out for Dungeons and Dragons this year because nothing has been announced.
It's not a totally unprecedented state of affairs, as in the past the game has unveiled its full slate in the first couple months of the year. Plus, after some big shakeups, and a glut of products squeezed into the last months of 2025, I wouldn't be surprised if the company wanted some breathing room, or was experimenting with new tactics and new schedules.
But the fact is that in August 2024 we got the scuttlebutt on half a dozen releases that would be coming out in 2025. It feels quite strange going into the new year totally blind.
Presumably WotC has something up their sleeve, and we'll be shown it in the next couple of months. In an effort to make them spill the beans right away, if just to prove me wrong, I thought I'd jot down some thoughts on what the designers should announce for the coming year. It's part prediction, part wishlist, three books that I think Wizards is quite likely to release in 2026, and which it'd be jolly good if it did.
Dark Sun
This is the most highly rumored release for the year. Wizards recently re-registered the Dark Sun trademark; it put out playtests for a bunch of apocalyptic subclasses, including a Sorcerer-King Warlock; it revamped the Psion class. At this rate, it would be downright weird if WotC didn't release a Dark Sun campaign or setting book this year.
What Dark Sun would look like in 2026 though is anyone's guess. Presumably WotC will want to continue its tour of all the greatest hits of D&D history, producing a set of sourcebooks to bring celebrated DnD settings to 5e just like it did for Spelljammer and Planescape.
These have met with quite a mixed reception, though, and of everything waiting in Wizards' stable, Dark Sun is probably the trickiest palfrey to saddle, even before we get to anything gameplay related.
Its grimdark world of enslaving warlords is inherently political and Wizards is going to face accusations of going woke or being problematic pretty much whatever it does. This piece by Tim Linward tackles the challenges of a Dark Sun revisit better than I ever could, but the gist is: it's going to take spadefuls of talent to pull this off.
Something spooky
Last year we got a whole bunch of horror-themed subclasses but no official product in which to place them. Which to me suggests there'll be something creepy coming around the Halloween season in 2026.
Ravenloft would be the obvious place to look, especially as that's the origin for some of these character options like the College of Spirits Bard and Undead patron Warlock. But given that Van Richten's Guide came out just five years ago, it seems a little soon for another sourcebook, so maybe it'll be adventures instead?
Alternatively, WotC might go rogue and make something for the MTG plane of Innistrad. The new Reanimator Artificer looks like a perfect fit if you wanted to play as one of the lightning-powered stitchers.
A stonking big campaign
Wizards of the Coast hasn't published a proper multiple level campaign since May 2024, and as Vecna: Eve of Ruin was for levels 10 - 20 even that could be considered something of a niche product.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that Wizards is putting out so many smaller modules and adventures. I totally get that, since these can be more easily slotted into a larger campaign, they're more useful for the average DM than unwieldy multi-layered plots that
But even so, campaign books are very useful for DMs who can't or don't want to do a ton of prep and brainstorming, and it's not inconceivable that this kind of DM could be fast running out of official 5e campaigns to play, at least ones that are top tier.
I think the new era of D&D needs a big, high quality flagship campaign, something it can point to and say: this is how it's done. I hope we get one in 2026!
What are you hoping to see from Wizards in 2026? Let us know in the Wargamer Discord, or share any third-party releases you're looking forward to.