After a decade of anticipation, Dungeons & Dragons is finally delivering the books I’ve longed for. While the upcoming release of the new Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual promises significant updates, the books I’m most excited about are actually new sourcebooks for the Forgotten Realms, scheduled for 2025. Having played fifth edition D&D for years, I’ve appreciated the improvements but also noted the lack of detailed material on the primary setting, the Forgotten Realms.
In previous editions, particularly the third and revised 3.5e, Wizards of the Coast often released a wealth of supplementary materials, perhaps too many. Fifth edition has been more measured, but the scarcity of in-depth content on the Forgotten Realms has been a glaring omission—until now. The announcement of two new sourcebooks, tentatively titled The Forgotten Realms Player Guide and The Forgotten Realms Adventure Guide, is a welcome change.
Although I don’t exclusively use the Forgotten Realms in my campaigns, I draw inspiration from it and other D&D settings. However, standalone resources for the Forgotten Realms have been lacking in 5e, with the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide being the only significant release, and even it falls short in detail. I often find myself relying on older materials, like the 2e Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins, which remains useful despite its age. While third-party content and other RPG settings offer alternatives, there’s a need for updated, official resources, and I’m pleased that Wizards of the Coast is finally addressing this gap.
The new Forgotten Realms books will offer content for both Dungeon Masters and players, featuring new subclasses, feats, backgrounds, factions, and spells, as well as detailed lore and locations for campaign settings. This will make creating custom campaigns or improvising within published adventures easier than ever.
2025 will also bring other releases, including a Dragon Anthology and an Updated Starter Set, indicating a soft relaunch of the game. While some may prefer new campaign books, the focus on making the game accessible to new players is understandable. Despite occasional missteps by Wizards of the Coast, these upcoming releases show promise, finally filling the long-standing void in my D&D collection.
