Not much is known about the now confirmed new edition of Dungeons & Dragons from Wizards of the Coast, but in late September 2021 during the Future of D&D broadcast a hint was dropped towards the “Next evolution of the game.” As of right now, all that has been confirmed are several new books coming in the next few years up to 2024, but this has lead to speculation about either a revision of the current 5th edition (5.5 edition) or a brand new 6th edition.
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D&D 5th Edition was released in 2014 and continues to run in the present day and at the time of publication for this article. If, as predicted, a 6th edition is released in 2024, that would mean 5th edition (5e) has been the most recent edition for nearly 10 years, making it the longest running publication of Dungeons & Dragons to date.
Now, I do not think this release will be a completely new edition since there are no less than 3 confirmed and brand new rule books and/or setting guides set for release prior to the new edition’s release in 2024. With a new Unearthed Arcana released on October 8, 2021, it seems superfluous to move to a brand new edition so close to the release of multiple publications expanding the gameplay from 5th edition.
Given the ongoing support for D&D 5E, I think we are much more likely to see a revision of the current edition, aka 5.5E, rather than a ground-up rework to a new 6th edition. It makes little sense to me that Wizards of the Coast would put so much effort into supporting 5E just to rewrite or throw out everything from the ground up within three years’ time.
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Either way, I am very excited to see what new content is coming to the TTRPG world in the next few years from Wizards of the Coast and the talented independent creators who work every day to make TTRPG’s more enjoyable. Tell us what you think in the comments! We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!
