An Unveiled Secret: Dungeons & Dragons May Be Teasing the Return of a Fan-Favorite Setting

The world of Dungeons & Dragons has been in a constant state of evolution. With the recent release of the revised 2024 core rulebooks—including the new Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual—developer Wizards of the Coast has been laying the groundwork for a new era. While the focus of 2025 has been on updating and refining the existing game, recent teasers and a subtle detail in a new book have ignited a firestorm of speculation that a long-dormant, iconic campaign setting is on the verge of making its grand return. This move would be a massive win for a community that has been clamoring for new official worlds to explore beyond the ever-present Forgotten Realms.

The Clues and the Unseen Hand

The first major clue comes from the upcoming Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, a new sourcebook focused on the popular magi-tech world. While the book is a welcome return to a fan-favorite setting, it is the cryptic remarks from lead designers and the lack of a full-scale campaign book for 2025 that are most telling. The D&D team has stated they are “experimenting” with their release schedule, and are focusing on “many adventure options” and “micro material.” This is a classic tactic used by game developers to create anticipation and to build a long-term plan without giving away the entire roadmap. By withholding a major campaign book, they are creating a vacuum for a massive, surprise announcement. The real bombshell, however, may be hidden in plain sight.

The new Dungeon Master’s Guide, released in late 2024, includes a detailed deep dive into the classic Greyhawk setting. While this was presented as a tutorial for new DMs, many long-time players believe it is a deliberate and meaningful hint. Greyhawk is one of the foundational settings of D&D, but it has been largely absent from the official product line since the third edition. Its inclusion in a core rulebook, with new lore and adventure hooks, is far more than a simple tutorial. It’s a reintroduction, a way to familiarize a new generation of players with a setting that is rich with history and iconic characters. The theory is that this is the first step in a major rollout, setting the stage for a full-scale campaign book in 2026 or a series of smaller adventure modules that will collectively form a new narrative. The sheer amount of detail in the new guide suggests a major investment in the setting, an investment that would be wasted on a simple tutorial.

The Dark Horse Candidate: Dark Sun’s Return

While all signs may point to Greyhawk, some in the community have a different theory. They believe that the teasers are a red herring, and that the true surprise is the return of Dark Sun. This post-apocalyptic, sci-fi fantasy setting is known for its brutal survival mechanics, psychic powers, and a world where magic withers the very planet itself. The setting has long been considered a difficult one to adapt to a more inclusive, modern version of D&D. However, recent job postings at Wizards of the Coast for a “Senior Narrative Worldbuilding Designer” have hinted that the company is looking to create “radically different” new worlds and “develop existing ones” to “keep these worlds consistent over multiple platforms, including video games, entertainment, and the D&D tabletop game.” This new focus on “new worlds” and a “consistent” multi-platform experience is a perfect fit for a setting like Dark Sun, which is so unlike anything else in the D&D multiverse. The “no full campaign book” strategy for 2025 could be a way to avoid a direct head-to-head competition between a new Eberron book and a new Dark Sun book, saving the latter for a major reveal in the future.

Regardless of which setting makes a comeback, the speculation and excitement are at an all-time high. The move would not only be a great way to re-engage long-time fans who are craving a new world to explore, but it would also be a clear signal that Wizards of the Coast is committed to expanding its multiverse beyond its most popular setting. The subtle hints and cryptic comments have done their job, and the community is now waiting with bated breath to see which iconic world will be the next to enter the modern age of Dungeons & Dragons.