Cryptozoic Entertainment has revealed Conan the Barbarian Deck-Building Game, an all-new standalone game in the Cerberus Engine series. Enter the world of Conan in a quest for glory as you recruit powerful allies, gather legendary equipment, master deadly maneuvers, and journey across iconic locations while battling fearsome enemies and oversized Nemeses. If you’ll be at Gen Con, visit Cryptozoic Booth #801 for your first chance to demo the game and experience the adventure before its release. Can’t make it to Gen Con? Sign up to be notified about the official launch event later this year so you’ll be among the first to see everything we’ve been preparing.
The adventure is just beginning. More reveals are coming soon!
Wizards of the Coast tackled one of Dungeons & Dragons’ greatest barriers to entry head-on by announcing and launching a new Looking For Group feature on D&D Beyond. Players now have three simple ways to find a D&D group: find local in-person events through an event finder, form tables with the online community via the D&D Discord server or find professional Dungeon Masters through a new partnership between D&D Beyond and StartPlaying. The StartPlaying partnership helps players immediately find a D&D game that’s right for them with a highly trained Dungeon Master waiting to take them on an adventure for the first time. For those first-time adventurers new to playing D&D or D&D Beyond online, Wizards of the Coast announced a special promotion where for a limited time, you can find and join a game on StartPlaying for $0.99. More information is available on the D&D Beyond website.
In addition to helping players find a group, the D&D Beyond team also unveiled a brand-new mobile app experience built on top of a new game platform that will be geared towards in-person play. This mobile experience is completely redesigned from the ground up to make it easier and more intuitive to play D&D your way. Look forward to this release in early 2027.
NEW PARTNERSHIP:
The Dungeons & Dragons team announced a new partnership program, working with studios across the tabletop game industry to bring official, annual TTRPG support for D&D’s most iconic campaign settings. Initial partnerships include Ghostfire Gaming with a new Ravenloft release (2027) and Visionary Productions with Eberron (2028) and Kobold Press with the Forgotten Realms (2028). In the years ahead, the program will expand to include additional settings, ensuring D&D’s most popular settings are all supported for their biggest fans.
During Wizards of the Coast‘s presentation during Gen Con 2026, writer, producer, and actor Joe Manganiello took the stage to announce his new role as Chief Creative Officer of D&D Icons, a new content program that brings legendary D&D creatives, including Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and Luke Gygax, back to the table to work hands-on with fan-favorite settings.
One of the Icons projects announced on stage returns to one of the most influential fantasy settings of all time: Dragonlance, bringing back its original creators to direct a Dragonlance TTRPG product for the first time in over 20 years. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are working hand-in-hand on a new Dragonlance TTRPG book, compiling 40 years of knowledge and lore into the most ambitious Dragonlance volume ever.
Also under the Icons banner, Luke Gygax took the Gen Con stage to announce a new project built from never-before-seen, unfinished content left behind by his father and original D&D creator Gary Gygax. Luke will complete an adventure through his father’s eyes, tying back to Gary Gygax’s own vision, available as early as 2027.
RA Salvatore, whose books appeared more than 20 times on the New York Times bestseller list, announced that he will be working under the Icons program to bring back the most legendary Drow in the Forgotten Realms, Drizzt Do Urden.
Manganiello is launching a TTRPG world rooted in the dark fantasy art style and aesthetic he developed for his heavy metal / fantasy streetwear line, DEATH SAVES, as an official D&D collaboration under his ICONS banner.
GREYHAWK: CROWN OF THE WITCH QUEEN
Greyhawk continued as a theme at Gen Con with the reveal of Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen. In this brand-new adventure, players return to the setting where it all began to decide Greyhawk’s fate amid the return and ascent of Drelnza, the vampire daughter of Iggwilv the Witch Queen—perhaps better known as Tasha—as she seeks to claim her birthright.
WARLOCK: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS – TASHA REVEALED
Fans of Tasha got a double reveal at Gen Con: her role in the upcoming Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons video game was confirmed, with award-winning actor Maggie Robertson stepping into the role through voice and performance capture, opposite Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica, Lucifer), who leads the game as Kaatri. Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is an original third-person, single-player action-adventure game set in a dark fantasy open world inspired by Dungeons & Dragons. Developed by Invoke Studios, the game casts players as Kaatri, a veteran warrior who makes a pact to wield otherworldly magic against dark powers. Fans were also treated to a surprise announcement that the first look at gameplay is coming on August 25th as part of Opening Night Live at gamescom.
During Gen Con 2026, Wizards of the Coast introduced the next era of Dungeons & Dragons in front of a packed, live audience and streaming fans. The night of announcements included the introduction of a new Universes Beyond initiative that kicks off this November with the launch of Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft. Other Gen Con announcements spanned an array of D&D classics, including the return of the brutaland mature Dark Sun setting; D&D Icons, a new creative initiative helmed by some of the game’s original stewards; a brand new mobile experience for D&D Beyond; and updates across D&D’s digital and video game platforms, charting a wide-ranging future for D&D fans old and new to come together at the table. The night was capped off by a surprise reveal that Star Wars will come to D&D in 2027.
Players looking for a more mature and brutal D&D setting got an answer at Gen Con as well: Coming in 2027 is a suite of new products for Dark Sun, the cult-classic, post-apocalyptic setting. Anchoring the Season of Survival, the Dark Sun books and accessories invite players to face off against tyrannical sorcerer-kings and survive the blood-soaked wastes of Athas.
During Gen Con 2026, Wizards of the Coast introduced the next era of Dungeons & Dragons in front of a packed, live audience and streaming fans. The night of announcements included the introduction of a new Universes Beyond initiative that kicks off this November with the launch of Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft. Other Gen Con announcements spanned an array of D&D classics, including the return of the brutaland mature Dark Sun setting; D&D Icons, a new creative initiative helmed by some of the game’s original stewards; a brand new mobile experience for D&D Beyond; and updates across D&D’s digital and video game platforms, charting a wide-ranging future for D&D fans old and new to come together at the table. The night was capped off by a surprise reveal that Star Wars will come to D&D in 2027.
None other than Sith Lord, Darth Vader capped off the event by taking stage to herald the arrival of a D&D | Star Wars partnership beginning in 2027. Mysterious as ever, Darth Vader was not forthcoming with additional details, so fans are commanded to stay tuned!
During Gen Con 2026, Wizards of the Coast introduced the next era of Dungeons & Dragons in front of a packed, live audience and streaming fans. The night of announcements included the introduction of a new Universes Beyond initiative that kicks off this November with the launch of Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft. Other Gen Con announcements spanned an array of D&D classics, including the return of the brutaland mature Dark Sun setting; D&D Icons, a new creative initiative helmed by some of the game’s original stewards; a brand new mobile experience for D&D Beyond; and updates across D&D’s digital and video game platforms, charting a wide-ranging future for D&D fans old and new to come together at the table. The night was capped off by a surprise reveal that Star Wars will come to D&D in 2027.
The first expansion for D&D under the new Universes Beyond banner is D&D: World of Warcraft, coming November 17, 2026, to anchor the Season of Champions. With this book, created in tandem with Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., Warcraft returns to the tabletop for the first time in two decades. This Gameplay Expansion invites players to “roll for Azeroth” as they recreate their World of Warcraft main character or roll a new alt and explore beloved zones, delve through familiar dungeons, and face legendary foes from over 20 years of history for the World of Warcraft franchise. D&D: World of Warcraft will also include iconic dungeons adapted from the game for Dungeons & Dragons.
Additionally, fans can relive one of Azeroth’s most legendary raids with the Icecrown Citadel Map Pack. The Map Pack includes full-size poster maps and tokens usable with an included digital adventure that brings characters from level 16 to level 20 as they challenge a dozen high-level bosses—or perish trying.
White Wolf has revealed that Vampire: The Masquerade 6th Edition (V6) is in active development. Vampire: The Masquerade 6th Edition, the next iteration and evolution of the iconic tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG), is the debut White Wolf project of World of Darkness Creative Director Jess Lanzillo, a veteran world builder and Storyteller. The reveal took place during “The Future of White Wolf” panel at Gen Con 2026, where White Wolf confirmed that V6 is built to honor the legacy of Vampire: The Masquerade while modernizing its dice mechanics, character creation, and Storyteller tools.
Vampire: The Masquerade 6th Edition introduces a reworked rules engine and a deeper toolkit for players and Storytellers alike:
Core System Changes: Vitae and Willpower/Health merge into a single resource, Difficulty subtracts dice from a pool rather than raising a target number, and players roll nearly all of the dice at the table.
Reimagined Tension: An added Beast/Nature Tracker and revamped Humanity Scale turn the struggle between Beast and Humanity into an active, personalized system rather than a static number.
Player and Storyteller Resources: Players earn Quickening on strong rolls, while Drama lets Storytellers complicate scenes, threaten The Masquerade, or empower NPCs.
Ideation and Creation: Play is further streamlined with a unified procedure for physical and social conflict. Create characters built around lifepaths, natures, clan traits, and merits. Discipline powers also scale with dots and favor active rather than passive use.
Mechanics: “Devil’s Bargains” and “Choose Your Pain” mechanics are added to support player-driven failure states, while Storytellers can enjoy a smoother, level-based building system for NPCs. Players and Storytellers can also easily find safety tools through explicit TTRPG Safety Toolkit callouts.
Vampire: The Masquerade 6th Edition is the first Vampire: The Masquerade project developed and published in-house under White Wolf following the brand’s return in 2025.
Hope and Despair, the new expansion for War of the Ring – The Card Game is announced for release in October 2026. The new expansion introduces Story cards, a new type of faction card inspired by key moments from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which add powerful new abilities, deck customization, and deeper tactical choices to the game. Along with the expansion, a new accessory will arrive: six Deluxe Playmats featuring iconic characters and Middle-earth locations, designed to enhance every game with dedicated card layouts and stunning artwork by John Howe.
Drawing on Tolkien’s rich lore and the emotional depth of Middle-earth, the Story cards introduced by Hope and Despair represent the natural and supernatural forces that shape the fate of its peoples, offering new strategic options, greater replayability, and additional content, making every adventure in Middle-earth even more immersive. Unlike other faction cards, Story cards are played only to Reserve and remain there for the rest of the round, providing unique effects that can influence the course of the game. The expansion also includes additional cards for the Northmen, Easterling, and Ruffian factions introduced in the Fire and Swordsexpansion, for use in scenarios featuring those factions, dedicated Shadow Bot cards for solo and cooperative play, Story tokens, and rules for integrating the new mechanics.
The Deluxe Playmats combine functionality and collectible appeal. Produced in high quality neoprene, and with an optimized 61 x 36 cm (about 24” x 14”) playing area, these playmats feature iconic War of the Ring – The Card Game artwork for every faction and player configuration, from 2 to 6 players. They are offered in a complete set, or individually, in six versions – three for the Free Peoples (Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn) and three for the Shadow (Saruman, the Witch-king, plus a double-sided The Balrog/Bill Ferny).
Each playmat features an illustration of a location from the saga associated with its featured character and is finished with finely stitched edges. Elegant markings indicate the draw deck and discard pile positions in the lower-left corner, while the remaining mat area has space for cards in Reserve and in Play. The playmats are scheduled to release in October 2026, together with Hope & Despair.
The Pre-order Offer
Ares Games is offering a pre-order bundle, including both the Hope and Despairexpansion, with two promo cards (“Not by the Hand of Man” – a Free People card – and “Beyond All Darkness“– a Shadow Player card), and theDeluxe Playmats Complete Set, at the discounted price of $120, with free shipping to European Union and Contiguous USA.
The expansion and the playmats can also be pre-ordered separately, with subsidized shipping charges ($ 13 for EU and Contiguous USA):
● Hope and Despair with 2-card promo set– $24.90 ● Deluxe Playmats Complete Set – $99 (instead of $154.40 for six individual mats) ● Deluxe Playmat (Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, The Witch-king, Saruman) – $24.90 each ● Deluxe Playmat (The Balrog Deluxe Playmat (Double-sided)) – $29.90
Mugen Gaming and Vala Foundry have announced the upcoming English edition of Cosmic Cowboy, a stylish Japanese worker placement board game where players become bounty hunters racing across the galaxy to capture notorious outlaws. The game will launch on Kickstarter soon, bringing the game to English-speaking audiences for the first time.
Created by Japanese game designer Hayato Kisaragi, Cosmic Cowboy challenges players to strategically deploy their crew, upgrade planets, and take on increasingly dangerous criminals to earn valuable bounties. Each round, players choose an action, move their captain, deploy hired hands, and collect rewards as they compete to become the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter. After eight rounds, the bounty hunter with the most victory tokens earns the title of the Cosmic Cowboy. With quick turns, meaningful decisions, and a playful sci-fi setting, Cosmic Cowboy offers an experience that is easy to learn while rewarding clever strategy.
Following the success of their collaboration on En-nichi, Mugen Gaming and Vala Foundry have once again partnered to deliver a faithful English localization that preserves the personality, humor, and visual style of the original game while making it accessible to a wider audience. With development complete, the team is now focused on bringing the game to players through Kickstarter.
The Kickstarter campaign will feature the complete English edition of the game along with exclusive rewards available only during the campaign.
Chaosium Inc. has announced the upcoming Gamefound campaign for Call of Cthulhu: Old Ones Origins, an asymmetric strategy board game from Samuel W. Bailey, one of the designers of the Golden Geek-nominated Forbidden Stars.
Designed for 2–4 players, the game puts each player in command of a distinct faction devoted to one of the legendary deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. Each faction has its own powers and units, which players must use to outmaneuver their opponents and battle for cosmic supremacy.
Featured during Gamefound Summer Feast 2026, the game’s Gamefound page is now live. Fans can follow it for exclusive previews, updates, and future announcements.
Call of Cthulhu: Old Ones Origins is an enhanced reimplementation of Forbidden Stars, which was nominated for the 2015 Golden Geek awards for Best Strategy Board Game and Best Thematic Board Game. The original game challenged players to lead factions with different abilities and play styles while balancing immediate moves with long-term strategy.
Old Ones Origins brings that strategic foundation into the Cthulhu Mythos setting, where ancient powers clash at the dawn of time. Players must learn the strengths of their faction, adapt their plans, and outmaneuver their rivals to become the ultimate force among the Old Ones.
Call of Cthulhu: Old Ones Origins Key Features
Wage War as an Eldritch Power: Lead a faction devoted to one of the legendary deities of the Cthulhu Mythos and battle for cosmic supremacy.
Distinct Factions and Strategies: Master unique powers and units, adapt your plans, and find new ways to outmaneuver your opponents.
A New Take on Forbidden Stars: Experience a Cthulhu Mythos reimagining of the award-nominated strategy game, designed by one of its original designers, Samuel W. Bailey.
Bring the Cthulhu Mythos to the Table: Build an imposing army of highly detailed miniatures, including unique faction units and towering avatars.
