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The next iteration of Dungeons & Dragons will be released within the next few years, and Wizards of the Coast has revealed a few tantalizing details as to what is in store for the fans. The fans have been referring to this new version ofD&Das 5.5, in reference to how the third edition of the game receiving a new iteration halfway through its lifespan, which was officially called 3.5. As of the time of writing, the revised version of the rules has no official name.

D&Dhas received a number of different editions over the years, most of which were drastically different from their predecessors. The changes were often the result of endless hours of player discourse and feedback. This wasn't helped by the fact that so many people had different ideas about howD&Dshould be played, with some believing that it should be all about dungeon crawling, while others wanted to focus on the roleplaying aspects. The fifth edition ofD&Dhas a great balance between these different aspects of the game, which might be why it has become so popular. The people who still yearn to experience the old editions ofD&Dcan do so in the remasters of theD&Dvideo games, as the second edition/Advanced Dungeons & Dragonsrules can be experienced inBaldur's Gate 1and2, in all of their THAC0 glory, while the third edition rules are present inNeverwinter Nights.

It was revealed at D&D Celebration 2021 that the next iteration ofDungeons & Dragonshad entered the early stages of development. Wizards of the Coast is now working on new rulebooks forD&D, alongside numerous other products, including new campaign settings, and returning ones from the days of yore. The next few years will be filled with announcements and speculation about the new version ofD&Dthat is on the way, but there are some concrete details that have already been revealed to the public.

The Three Core D&D Rulebooks Are Being Updated For 5.5

The so-called "Next Evolution" ofD&Dinvolves new versions of the three core D&D rulebooks: thePlayer's Handbook, theDungeon Master's Guide, and theMonster Manual. These three books are the cornerstone of anyD&Dgame, as all of the major rules are found within them. The officialD&Dcampaign books also assume that the DM has access to the books, which is why they don't need to reprint things that already appear in the core books, such as the stats for common monsters or magic items. The fact that these three books are being revised means that classes, races, backgrounds, equipment, spells, monsters, magic items, traps, and the combat rules all have a chance of looking different in the future.

The D&D 5.5 Release Date Is 2024 For The 50th Anniversary Of The Game

The new versions of the core rulebooks have a loose release window, as they are set to be released in 2024. Their release will tie into the 50th anniversary ofD&D, which is set to happen in 2024 as well. The exact release date for the firstD&D 5.5product isn't clear, so Wizards of the Coast has the leeway to celebrate throughout the whole year. Wizards of the Coast will start revealing more information about the new books next year, alongside the announcements for other books that are on the way.

The New D&D 5.5 Rules Will Be Backward Compatible With 5e

The reason why fans have compared the revised rulebooks to3.5 is that the D&D 5.5 updates will be backward compatible with all of the existing  5e rulebooks, as well as the ones that will be released between now and 2024. This means that the rules changes won't be too drastic, as too many changes would mean a ton of work for people wanting to run the old campaigns.

If D&D's 5.5 shift is similar to 3.5, then the classes could be tweaked to different degrees, the Skills and Feats system could be altered, spells could be changed or removed entirely, equipment could be overhauled, specific monsters could have new abilities, and the combat system could be expanded. It was wise of Wizards of the Coast to make the backward compatibility clear upfront, as it may have caused some fans to hold off on checking out the new books, if they felt that a major update was on the way, and it could invalidate the content in their existing products.

D&D 5.5 Is Not A New Edition (And 6th Edition Likely Won't Be Coming Soon)

There has been a lot of speculation about when Wizards of the Coast is going to announce the sixth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The upcoming revisedD&D 5.5 rulebooks are not that. The fifth edition of the game is here to stay (for at least a while longer), and the revised version will likely be supported for a few more years, meaning 6e likely won't appear for at least five years.

This makes a lot of sense, asD&Dhad its best-ever year of sales in 2020. The game has never been hotter, with a ruleset that fans are happy with, and is easy for new players to pick up.D&Dis also growing as a multimedia entity, with the new movie in development, and a number of video games on the way, including the long-awaitedBaldur's Gate 3. If Wizards of the Coast released a new edition ofD&D within the next few years, then it would potentially alienate the current fanbase (as was the case with fourth edition), while potentially making the upcoming video games use an outdated set of rules. The revised D&D 5.5 rules feel more like a mid-cycle refresh than a true evolution of the game, which is for the best, as a sixth edition could potentially spoil things.

D&D Fans Will Help Develop 5.5 Rules

Wizards of the Coast has secretly been working on the revised D&D 5.5 rulebooks for a while now. The company sent out surveys to players over the past year, asking their opinions about the currentPlayer's Handbook. Thousands of fans have already responded to these surveys, and they are just the beginning. Wizards of the Coast will be sending out more surveys next year, so fans will have their chance to shape the future of the game. The intention is to create the best version of Dungeons & Dragons possible, and those who raise their voices will have a chance for their opinions to be heard and may help shape the 5.5 updates of the game.

Next: D&D 5.5: Playable Races That Shouldn't Return

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About The Author

Scott Baird (2229 Articles Published)

Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz. A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early '90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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