Will Dungeons & Dragons Finally Return to Spelljammer in 2022?

By Christian Hoffer

Will 2022 be the year that Dungeons & Dragons finally returns to Spelljammer? The Dungeons & Dragons franchise is both a popular tabletop roleplaying game and a set of unique worlds, each of which is built around its own set of themes and lore. One such campaign setting is Spelljammer, a space opera-esque setting where players travel through the phlogiston, an ocean made of flammable gas, on ships controlled by magic to reach worlds encased in crystal spheres. This campaign setting allows players to enjoy a mix of classic fantasy elements with the tropes of outer space and also features strange and bizarre worlds that push the lore of D&D to its limits.

Spelljammer had a wide release during Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition, but has only received scant mentions and teases since. However, many D&D fans love the classic setting and have clamored for its return, especially in recent years. As Spelljammer references have made their way into several recent D&D adventures (a Spelljammer ship notably appears in Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage), the setting has almost become a meme of sorts, with "Spelljammer Confirmed" appearing in the comment section of just about every D&D news stream or announcement. 

That speculation isn't going to go away anytime soon. During last month's D&D Celebration, D&D lead story designer Chris Perkins shared early concept art of an upcoming alternate cover created by Hydro74, the artist whose work appears on many of the alternate covers. The artwork shows the miniature giant space hamster Boo standing in front of a stylized beholder. Boo, of course, is best known for his appearance in the Baldur's Gate stories and is a companion of the popular character Minsc. However, Boo also has ties to Spelljammer (giant space hamsters are a hallmark of the series) and his appearance on an alternate cover is sure to bring up speculation that we might be seeing more Spelljammer teases in the not too distant future.  You can check out the concept art below:

The D&D design team has confirmed that they plan on visiting at least three classic campaign settings in the next two years. Spelljammer seems like a good candidate for one of those, especially if incorporated into an adventure. 

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