D&D lead designer squashes hopes that new rulebook is coming soon

The lead designer of the next D&D Player’s Handbook had denied that it will be released in May, despite the company accidentally revealing the release date in the past.

Dungeons & Dragons 5E is set to receive three new rulebooks as part of the game’s 50th anniversary, which means a new Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are all being developed.

To create these books, Wizards of the Coast has been releasing free playtesting documents featuring snippets of the new rules, allowing fans to share their opinions about what will be added to the game and what needs to be cut.

It was revealed in artwork shown at PAX Unplugged that the next D&D Player’s Handbook is launching in May 2024. Unfortunately, it seems that the release date won’t be met, and the wait for the new core rulebooks is longer than anyone realized.

D&D 5E’s next Player’s Handbook isn’t coming out in May

In a video on the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel, lead designer Jeremy Crawford has squashed the rumors of the May 2024 launch, stating that the release date was a surprise to him when he learned it.

Crawford also mentioned that they’ll still be working on the new Player’s Handbook in May, suggesting it won’t be released until the end of 2024. This also means the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual could be pushed back to 2025.

On the plus side, Crawford revealed that the most recent Unearthed Arcana playtesting document (which will be the last for the Player’s Handbook) received some of the most positive fan feedback so far, with players loving the new versions of the Barbarian, Druid, and Monk.

Crawford also confirmed that the artwork shown during PAX of the Dwarven Fighter won’t be the cover art for the new Player’s Handbook. Instead, this artwork will be used in the Fighter section.

It’s a shame that the new Player’s Handbook likely won’t launch until the end of the year, but the rules should be as refined as possible going in, as fans don’t want to suffer through another decade of bad Rangers or underpowered summoning spells.