Gen Con 2026 saw several announcements for Dungeons and Dragons, both for their upcoming content and plans for the future. After adopting a seasonal model to new releases for the TTRPG, Wizards of the Coast has been consistently providing players with fresh Unearthed Arcana playtesting material and official setting and gameplay expansions this year. However, it seems like everything we’ve been given so far has simply been a careful first step before an explosive leap into familiar stories players could not have expected.
Videos by ComicBook.com
One of the biggest Gen Con reveals was that D&D would have expansions related to other famous series, crossing over with World of Warcraft and Star Wars next year. Some gameplay details have confirmed species reworks and new subclasses for the World of Warcraft collaboration, allowing players to run games that fit better in that beloved MMO’s setting. That being said, fan-favorite subclasses will return in that book too, making it a partially universal game expansion for D&D‘s newer 5.5 Edition rules.
D&D: Dark Sun Marks A Major Return To One Of The Tabletop Game’s Darkest Settings Ever
The first expansion of 2027 is tied to Season 3 of D&D‘s new roadmap, called the “Season of Survival,” which is taking place in the infamous 2nd Edition setting of Dark Sun. First introduced in 1991, Dark Sun is a post-apocalyptic setting based in the desert world of Athas, originally inspired by media of a similar tone, such as Mad Max. Athas is incredibly brutal, meant to be a hyper-violent, R-rated struggle to survive in a world with limited metallic resources and characters who wield strange psionic powers.
Over the course of February through July of 2027, D&D 5.5e will receive a variety of content tied to Dark Sun, seeing the setting return in all its bloody glory. The city-states ruled by sorcerer kings of Athas returns with many promised features that were a part of the original setting, including the controversial maturity of older D&D editions. Sexual themes and intense violence are driving this version of Dark Sun just as it did before, with optional mechanics hinted to increase the mature rating of this setting even more.
Dark Sun is warned to be explicit, even coming shrink wrapped in stores to prevent sensitive audiences from viewing the content inside the two expansion books planned for the Season of Survival. Dark Sun: Edge of Oblivion is the main book being released for Dark Sun, giving players a setting expansion that breaks down all aspects of Athas. Meanwhile, Dark Sun: Blood and Power is a gameplay expansion, likely featuring new character options for players to explore whether they have the setting book or not.
Additional Adventures Set For 2027 Also Seek To Call Back To The Earliest Stories In D&D
Although Dark Sun being D&D 5.5e’s first mature rated adventure is exciting, it wasn’t the only Season of content shown for 2027. The Season of Survival is planned to be followed by the Season of Sword & Sorcery, the fourth content segment of the TTRPG’s roadmap. This Season takes players back to one of the game’s oldest original settings, Greyhawk, an area far older than Dark Sun. From the very first Edition of the game, players can explore Greyhawk once again in 5.5e through the Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen adventure coming in late 2027.
Crown of the Witch Queen is meant to come with a gameplay and setting book much like Dark Sun, but with a greater emphasis on a particular character. This adventure will be focused on villains, specifically a character named Drelzna. Veterans of D&D may remember Drelzna as the vampire daughter of Iggwilv, an older name of the magician Tasha established in the tabletop game’s lore. Much like Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen could have much darker character options and adventures for players to experience.
New Gameplay Options Will Likely Be Included In Both Pieces Of Revealed Setting & Story Content
Both Dark Sun and Greyhawk settings are bound to come with a number of great gameplay options, with their expansions likely adding Backgrounds, subclasses, and perhaps even a new class entirely. The Psion class could easily return for Dark Sun, perhaps changing into the Mystic to better reflect the changes D&D has tried throughout 5th Edition. Similarly, villainous archetypes currently going through UA testing could appear officially in Greyhawk content, to match the focus on Drelzna and “evil” themes.
As someone who has adopted elements of Greyhawk and Dark Sun into different games over years, having those settings refined for 5th Edition is very exciting. Seeing what narrative and gameplay changes have affected those landscapes could create a number of new adventures, including challenging stories for veteran players as well as unorthodox journeys for newcomers seeking mature tales. Although Dark Sun’s blood and gore won’t be for everyone, the classic swords and sorcery of Greyhawk is a great return-to-form that everyone can enjoy.
With a clear idea of what is planned for 2027, I am fascinated to see how Dark Sun and Greyhawk are organized in comparison to Ravenloft and the Arcana Unleashed books of this year. Hopefully, as Dungeons and Dragons expands its 5.5e content into different avenues, players of all kinds can jump into the TTRPG to get the experience they want.
More Gaming
-
Courtesy of Arc System Works -
Courtesy of LEGO and Paradox Interactive -
Courtesy of The Pokemon Company -
Courtesy of Wizards of the Coast
