Dungeons & Dragons is primed for a major reinvention in 2026

2025 felt very light on storytelling. Instead of launching new narratives, Wizards spent much of the year stabilizing the ecosystem around the revised rules. February’s Monster Manual completed the core trilogy of resource books. Much later in the year, Forgotten Realms expansions Adventures in Faerûn and Heroes of Faerûn focused on rules, player options, and Dungeon Master resources. Wizards also experimented with smaller digital releases like Lorwyn: First Light and Astarion’s Book of Hungers — interesting projects, but not the kind of campaign-defining books that traditionally anchor a D&D year.The 2024 revision modernized how D&D functions. 2025 largely filled in the gaps. What’s missing is more ambition on the narrative side. So it’s understandable that fans might feel a bit uneasy going into 2026 without anything on the calendar yet. After a decade defined by steady releases and high-profile storytelling, D&D feels like it’s holding its breath. But a closer look at Wizards’ recent moves — from leadership changes and playtest patterns to how the company has historically revealed its plans — suggests the game itself is experiencing a kind of system reset.