Pathfinder has undergone many changes over the past few years, but this recent one directly affects overseas folks like myself. Paizo announced the end of the long-running Pathfinder Adventure Path's softcover books. Instead, Paizo will pivot to bigger hardcovers that compile adventures from start to finish.
The old Pathfinder Adventure Path release model followed a monthly format. Each quarter, four soft copies would be released to form a complete story. As many GMs will tell you, the format had many flaws. Paizo acknowledged issues such as out-of-print stories leading to incomplete adventures, and GMs not having a full campaign to plan with.
Speaking of which, Paizo also notes that the new format will make it easier on their creative team to create the best Pathfinder books possible. Since everything is in one place, writers no longer have to account for GMs who only got Part 2 of 4 of the adventure. That freedom could raise the quality of the adventures significantly.
These changes to the Pathfinder release model begin in January 2026.
While those issues are universal, there are some exclusive to folks like me who live outside the United States. A monthly release schedule meant to complete an adventure in a timely fashion, I had to pay for shipping twelve times a year. With more shipments also meant more risk of damaging the books.
The number of creased and bent softcovers I've seen arrive locally is, unfortunately, more than you'd hope. The switch to a single hardcover release every quarter solves both problems. Not only will I pay less on shipping annually, but I also get a much tougher (and probably prettier) book for the shelf. As tabletop gaming gets more expensive as a hobby, these changes are deeply appreciated.
You can find more details about the upcoming changes on Paizo's official blog.
Need some new Pathfinder players for your 2026 campaigns? Talk about these exciting changes with the folks over at the Wargamer Discord. Alternatively, check out some of the best tabletop RPGs to try out in 2025.