Dungeons & Dragonsis having a slower year than 2024’s rapid-fire release of new rules and adventures, and a significant delay has just removed the big summer release from the schedule. Following the July 8 release ofDragon Delves,D&D’s next big offering was set to beEberron: Forge of the Artificer. The book promises a new,more affordable formatthan other recentD&Dvolumes, but that might have contributed to its surprising setback.
Eberron: Forge of the Artificerhas been delayed to December 9, as revealed on the officialDungeons & DragonsX account and reported byComicBook.The book was originally scheduled to release in August before a “serious issue” of cover warping was discovered. The problem didn’t emerge until after the book’s print run, so Wizards of the Coast has elected to reprint the book and delay the digital release accordingly.
Eberron: Forge Of The Artificer Is Coming Much Later After Print Issue
D&D’s 2025 Schedule Has Radically Changed
A delay of four months significantly reshapesD&D’s 2025 schedule, movingEberron: Forge of the Artificerfrom a mid-year release to the grand finale. Now,theHeroes of the BorderlandsStarter Set and twoForgotten Realmsguides will be on store shelves first, and an upcomingMagic: The Gatheringcrossover bookseems like the probable candidate for a suggested October release.
Forge of the Artificercosts $29.99, half the price of most otherD&Dreleases, so the printing and binding process may have been entirely different thanD&D’s standard. Two pictures on the officialD&D Beyondwebsite showcase the cover warping issue, which results in a book that can’t lie entirely flat.
D&D Is Making The Right Call To Delay
Meeting Expectations Late Is Better Than Failing Them Early
The situation surroundingForge of the Artificeris far from ideal, assome tables probably already had Eberron campaigns plannedwith the idea of incorporating the book’s additions. D&D Beyond users may be especially frustrated, as the digital release is only being pushed back to coincide with the physical book’s delay.
It’s hard to say if the extent of the delay is entirely necessary, as there’s a possibility that the reprinted book will be ready before then and is only being held until December to avoid stepping on the toes of other2025D&Dreleases. Despite all those considerations,I’m gladD&Dis stepping back to reprint the bookrather than shipping out defective copies.
The move will presumably come at considerable cost to the company, but maintaining a standard of quality that befits the tabletop game’s popularity is worth it in the long run. I would have been happy to get my hands onEberron: Forge of the Artificerin August, but I’ll take a course-corrected December release over aDungeons & Dragonsbook that doesn’t meet my expectations.
