The D&D keynote at GenCon was full of major announcements, including a return to a classic setting, new initiatives, and the launch of Dungeons & Dragons Universes Beyond. One setting was already leaked, the other came as a surprise. So without further ado, let’s see what’s coming to the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons…
Return to Dark Sun
Dark Sun, the post-apocalyptic D&D setting, is making its return to 5.5 edition. This return was teased earlier with an Unearthed Arcana article exploring class options from the setting, but it’s now official.
Dark Sun is, as the name suggests, a far darker setting. The desert world of Athas is one ruled by evil Sorcerer-Kings, and magic drains the life force from the very land. It’s a world with little room for heroism, and included a range of sensitive topics, from slavery to cannibalism. As such, the 5.5e Dark Sun setting is billed as a mature expansion, not suitable for younger players.
The upcoming Dark Sun book will feature new player options, including the Psion class, marking the first full new 5th edition class since the Artificer, and the first to 5.5e. Along with the gameplay expansion, titled “Dark Sun: Blood and Power,” there will also be the “Edge of Oblivion” adventure book. The two books will launch in 2027, marking D&D’s Season of Survival.
More Settings Revisited
Along with a return to Dark Sun, the D&D keynote included several other modern settings, both from iconic creators and third-party partners.
D&D Icons
The D&D Icons initiative, led by Joe Manganiello, brings back iconic creators to the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons. This will feature setting guides, adventure modules, and more, giving plans plenty to look forward to. This includes:
- Dragonlance, with co-creator Tracy Hickman returning (players will also remember that Dragonlance made its return to 5th edition in “Shadow of the Dragon Queen.”)
- Greyhawk, the setting created by Gary Gygax, now helmed by his son, Luke Gygax, and featuring the elven archmage Melf. In addition, Greyhawk is getting a new adventure book, “Crown of the Witch Queen,” exploring the story of the vampire Drelnza.
- Drizzt Do’Urden, the famed drow ranger, returns with creator R.A. Salvatore at the helm.
New Partnerships
Wizards of the Coast is also partnering up with several third party studios, giving them access to existing D&D settings. This includes:
- Kobold Press providing new Forgotten Realms content.
- Ghostfire Gaming taking on Ravenloft and its Domains of Dread.
- Visionary Productions exploring Eberron with a new adventure featuring the Lord of Blades.
These new expansions will come out in 2027 and 2028, with more partners to come.
Dungeons & Dragons Universes Beyond
The biggest announcements came from new partnerships and tie-ins, going beyond the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons and into other franchises altogether. While D&D has toyed with this in the past, with starter sets tying into series like “Stranger Things” or “Rick and Morty,” these new partnerships are full books, complete with new species, classes, spells, and more.
The new books are part of a Universes Beyond initiative for D&D. Magic players will be familiar with the name, as it’s the same name Wizards of the Coast uses for their Magic tie-in sets. However, as there have been complaints from players about the UB sets overtaking existing Magic settings (with the majority of Magic releases in 2026 being Universes Beyond sets), this branding has caused some concerns.
World of Warcraft
The first Universes Beyond announcement was leaked the other day, but now it’s official: Dungeons & Dragons is going to Azeroth for a World of Warcraft expansion.
”D&D: World of Warcraft” will feature 13 new classes, including both new and reimagined subclasses and over 40 specializations, as well as 16 new species, such as Dracthyr, Forsaken, Pandaren, and more (like the Mechagnome, not to be mistaken for the Autognome from D&D’s Spelljammer setting). In addition, it will include multiple new spells, magic items, monsters, and factions, as well as maps based on iconic World of Warcraft dungeons.
This is not Warcraft’s first time with the D&D mechanics, as a World of Warcraft TTRPG came out in 2003, using the D&D 3e mechanics, thanks to the Open Game License. However, that game was released by Sword & Sorcery Studios, whereas this new book is an official partnership with Wizards of the Coast.
The World of Warcraft book will launch on November 17, 2026, as part of D&D’s Season of Champions.
Star Wars
The second Universes Beyond announcement came as more of a surprise, as Dungeons & Dragons is going to a galaxy far, far away with a Star Wars tie-in. While little else has been announced, the book will kick off the Season of Rebellion some time in 2027.
Like with World of Warcraft, Star Wars once also had a TTRPG using the Open Game License. The Star Wars Roleplaying Game was released by Wizards of the Coast in 2000, with a Saga Edition in 2007. In the days since the game went out of print, there have been other Star Wars RPGs, using different mechanics and rules.
While little else is known about what the Star Wars book will hold, we can probably assume it will include a Jedi class and several Star Wars species, such as Wookiees, Droids, and Ewoks. That is, of course, purely speculative, but it feels like a safe bet.
You can check out the D&D keynote below, and keep an eye on G33k-HQ for more news as it’s revealed:
