2024 marks 50 years since the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons was released. Throughout the last year, Wizards of the Coast promised it had big plans for its DnD 50th anniversary celebrations. But almost one month into the year, Wizards has said precious little about its Golden Jubilee plans. And I’m worried it’s going to drop the ball.
A lot is meant to be happening this year. Wizards’ largest anniversary project is One D&D, a new ‘edition-ish’ coming in 2024 that remasters the core DnD books but remains compatible with fifth edition. We’re also expecting several adventure sourcebooks, a historical non-fiction book, a D&D documentary from Joe Manganiello, a spree of nostalgic TTRPG tournaments, Wizkids miniatures, and even anniversary D&D stamps.
The question on my lips isn’t what is coming up – it’s when.
Wizards shared some concrete launch dates as part of its big DnD release schedule announcement in December 2023, but these were quickly retracted, and no replacements have appeared. The documentary is reportedly still in pre-production, and it doesn’t even have a title. So far, only the anniversary miniatures seem to have a release window, in the third quarter of 2024.
I’m not expecting everything to drop on February 1, of course. Wizards of the Coast’s employees probably have their hands very full designing an (almost) new edition. But considering the specifics of the DnD 2023 release schedule were announced eight months in advance, this silence is a little concerning.
Consumer trust in Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro might be at an all-time low this year. It’s also the one-year anniversary of the DnD OGL controversy, and the Hasbro layoffs that capped off 2023 still ring fresh in the minds of many D&D players.
It’s likely that the more irate among the community will voice their issues with Wizards by boycotting first-party products this year, so Wizards is already facing an uphill battle when it comes to community spirit. And then there are all the fans that will be disappointed by lacking or late anniversary products. This is supposed to be the year for D&D, and Wizards really can’t afford to throw a crappy birthday party.
For more recent news, here’s a D&D roundup of all the major events in 2023. We can also help you find the right DnD classes and DnD races for your next build.