The last day or two has seen more prominent D&D content creators picking up on a comment from the closing panel of last weekends D&D Celebration 2021, that D&D will get a major update in 2024.

But before I share with the world my thoughts about this, let’s look at a summary of the other snippets mentioned in the Future of D&D panel (YouTube video embedded below).

First up 2022 will see the arrival of the two remaining classic D&D settings that were mentioned last year. To further add to the mystery they will be published in formats that WotC have never published in before! Plus there will be hints/cameo of another classic setting plus there will be a fourth classic setting out in 2023. Whether that is the same setting that makes the cameo who knows?

There will be more adventure anthologies coming. Think along the lines of Candlekeep Mysteries.

2024 is the 50th Anniversary of D&D. Part of that celebration will see an update to D&D or the next evolution as it’s being currently pushed as. WotC started work earlier in the year on this. Which is why there were a couple of player surveys put out to gather feedback. The key part to pick out is that whatever this new version is called, it will be compatible with current 5e books. But as expected more details about this evolution of the core rules next year. And my guess is it will be about this time next year.

There was also an almost throw away line about new D&D digital stuff being worked on. We will have to be patient to find out what this is.

Arriving January (they did give a specific date, but I’m not holding them to that, after all shipping etc is a mess) is a new gift set of D&D rule books. That will be made up of an updated Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and a new book Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse.

Monsters of the Multiverse collects over 250creatures from previous D&D books into one place and updated! These updates will be our first clue/look as to how things might be in the 2024 evolved rulebooks. Plus there are over 30 setting agnostic playable races in the book. Go watch the video for some examples from this new tome.

Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse will also be available separately at a later date (I assume to help push sales of the gift set for those that absolutely must have it at the earliest possible opportunity).

We also learnt that currently in development are two brand new D&D settings. Which may or may not see the light of day.

Next month we will see news of a new product for 2022 that apparently we’ve never been to before and is terrifying!

Plus a mystery product that sees the return of Boo. Which I’m assuming means Minsc won’t be too far away from him.

Let’s circle back to the new core rulebooks coming in 2024. There has been some discussion about will people be expected to buy everything again and throw out the old? No. As pointed out above all our 5e books will be compatible with the new edition of rules. So at worst you only need to replace the core rulebooks IF you want to.

There is nothing stopping you from playing what you currently have if that is what you are happy with. People are playing older editions now because that is what they prefer.

So when the new rules come out don’t feel pressured to buy them. You don’t need to buy them if you are happy with the stuff you already have.

I’m pretty sure this will need repeating again nearer the time.