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Gen Con 2026: Wizards of the Coast announces “Icons,” A New Creative Program Led by D&D’s Luminaries

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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.

Dragonlance

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.

Greyhawk

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.

The Legend of Drizzt

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.

Death Saves

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.

GREYHAWK: CROWN OF THE WITCH QUEEN

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.

WARLOCK: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS – TASHA REVEALED

D&D Direct reveals new games, collectibles, toys, and more!

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Wizards of the Coast held their D&D Direct 2023 Showcase today focusing on things spinning out of Dungeons & Dragons. During the presentation, Wizards of the Coast announced new partnerships that expand the breadth of the D&D brand from digital games to physical collectibles from top toy manufacturers Hasbro and WizKids. The first of these new partnerships is with Minecraft and the launch of a new Minecraft D&D DLC, available on the Minecraft Marketplace Spring 2023!

In this new Minecraft D&D DLC, players choose among classes like barbarian or wizard and explore five iconic Forgotten Realms locations such as Candlekeep and Icewind Dale while defeating classic baddies like beholders, mimics, mindflayers and, of course, dragons! This new, original adventure allows players to customize their characters’ stats and roll 20-sided dice to determine how to proceed in fully-voiced dialogue. Play with friends and get a unique D&D experience in the world of Minecraft.

Hasbro is all in on D&D and has been creating amazing figures fans will love. Not only are there the previously announced Dicelings and 6” figures of the characters from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and the classic D&D cartoon, but Hasbro showed off the Golden Archive releases of the Xanathar, an owlbear, and the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves displacer beast.

For Magic fans, Wizards also announced a special Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Secret Lair drop for Magic: The Gathering. This pack features six cards based on the characters of the film including Edgin, Larcenous Lutenist; Forge, Neverwinter Charlatan; and Holga, Relentless Rager all bearing the likeness of the actor playing the role. Pre-orders for Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves are open today!

The writing of R.A. Salvatore in the Legend of Drizzt has become synonymous with many D&D fans’ vision of the Forgotten Realms. With the release of Dao of Drizzt this fall and the upcoming conclusion to the latest trilogy featuring the drow ranger, Lolth’s Warrior, Salvatore looked back on the character that has meant so much to fans. Wizards’ partners at Gearbox Publishing and Cryptic Studios have teamed up with Salvatore to create Menzoberranzan, the 25th expansion for the popular MMO Neverwinter. The new expansion is available now on PC, Xbox, and Playstation, and lets players explore the dangerous city for the first time in the game.

WizKids has brought to life hundreds of D&D creatures over the years but none as gruesome – or adorable – as the D&D Replicas of the Realms they introduced during D&D Direct. The mimic may look like a treasure chest on the outside, but its purple tongue and vicious teeth will make any adventurer lose their lunch, and their hands, pretty quickly. The 20-inch-tall mimic is no match for the cuteness of the 11” baby owlbear figure with its “puppy dog” eyes.

D&D Direct rounded out with details on the upcoming documentary from Joe Manganiello celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the game in 2024. Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford from the D&D studio also dropped hints at what’s to come with previews of upcoming books, story hooks involving fan-favorite characters and villains, and a deeper look at pre-alpha gameplay footage from the D&D virtual tabletop (VTT) that’s currently in development at Wizards of the Coast.

Joe Manganiello is Deathstroke?

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joe-manganielloIt wasn’t too long ago that Ben Affleck teased Deathstroke as part of the live action DC Universe, with news coming soon that the character would be a villain in the next Batman film. Now reports are coming out that Joe Manganiello will be stepping into the armor and taking the role of Slade Wilson/Deathstroke.

The Wall Street Journal says that DC Entertainment president and chief creative officer Geoff Johns confirmed the casting in an interview discussing his role with Warner Bros. movies, though no interview was cited and I have yet to turn evidence of that up.

Johns usually tweets this sort of news out, but he’s been quiet on Twitter for a while. Though, Manganiello has Tweeted the WSJ article with “it’s on.”

This isn’t the first time the actor has played a character in a comic film adaptation. Manganiello was Flash Thompson is Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man and Spider-Man 3. He is best known for his role as Alcide on True Blood and as Big Dick Richie in the Magic Mike films.