Dungeons & Dragons is drawing on its long history while looking ahead, bringing several influential creators back to develop new stories and settings through a new initiative called D&D Icons.
The announcement was made during the D&D Vision Keynote 2027 at Gen Con. The programme brings together major names from D&D history and pairs them with the current design team to shape future content.
Dragonlance, Drizzt and Greyhawk return
The D&D Icons line includes Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, R.A. Salvatore and Luke Gygax. Actor, producer, writer and D&D enthusiast Joe Manganiello will lead the initiative as its chief creative officer. Manganiello is also developing a separate setting called Death Saves.
Weis and Hickman will create a new Dragonlance tabletop role-playing product, marking their first work on the setting in more than 20 years. A news release describes it as “the most ambitious Dragonlance volume ever”.
Salvatore will use the Icons programme to return to one of his best-known characters: Drizzt Do’Urden, the drow ranger from The Legend of Drizzt series.
Luke Gygax will develop a Greyhawk project from unfinished material and unreleased notes left by his father, D&D co-creator Gary Gygax. Described as “an adventure through Gary Gygax’s eyes”, the project is expected to be available as early as 2027.
A fresh direction built on D&D history
D&D Icons is clearly informed by nostalgia, but its stated purpose extends beyond revisiting familiar names. The returning creators are intended to work alongside today’s designers, helping expand Dragonlance, Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms while retaining the foundations established by their original architects.
Dan Ayoub, Wizards of the Coast’s head of the D&D franchise, identified the return of iconic creators as a priority when he took on the role a little over a year ago. A post from last October showed Ayoub with Manganiello, Laura Hickman and Tracy Hickman while teasing future projects.
Weis and Hickman’s participation is notable given their difficult history with Wizards, including a lawsuit filed in 2020. Luke Gygax’s involvement also carries particular weight because his father’s contribution to D&D has, in recent years, been part of wider cultural debates and controversies.
Why the initiative matters
Ayoub has summarised his direction for the franchise with the phrase “A new dawn for D&D”. That approach combines the goodwill attached to the game’s foundational creators with an aim to develop its next chapter.
For tabletop players, the most significant part of D&D Icons may not be the return of familiar settings alone. Its promise to connect those settings’ original voices with the current creative team could make the line both a celebration of D&D’s past and a framework for future adventures.
That mix of legacy and new design is familiar across enthusiast gaming, from classic tabletop worlds to modern arcade and gaming news. Readers considering a dedicated setup for game nights can also explore RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide, browse arcade machines, or compare space-saving bartop arcades.
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