The next version of D&D is coming, and Monsters of the Multiverse is your first taste

polygon.com:

Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast is currently walking a tightrope. The seminal tabletop role-playing game turns 50 in 2024, and developers are busy building the game’s next version to go on sale during that window. At the same time, D&D is more popular than ever, a jewel in Hasbro’s crown that — along with Magic: The Gathering— is raking in money hand over fist. So how will the developers navigate the void between the 5th edition and what comes next? The answer is: very, very carefully.

Our first hint at how that transition will be navigated is an upcoming book titled Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse, a confusing name for a confusing product that will be sold in a confusing way and — at least initially — at a conspicuously high price point. Let’s break down what’s going on here, and what it means for the future of D&D.

In September, head of D&D Ray Winninger let the cat out of the bag (of holding) during a video presentation.

“I know there’s been a lot of speculation of this, but I can actually reveal today that we have — earlier this year — began work on the next evolution of Dungeons & Dragons,” Winninger said. “New versions of the core rulebooks that will be coming out in 2024 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons.”

It’s that “next evolution” bit that keeps tripping people up. Many have speculated, without evidence, that it will be the full-fledged 6th edition of the game. But there’s a downside to breaking ties with nearly a decade’s worth of products — adventures, settings, rulebooks, and licensed accessories, some of which are just now trickling out into the hands of a mainstream audience — and starting fresh. Just look to the various “edition wars” that have