D&D Direct 2023 – Minecraft, VTTs, Vecna And More
Well the D&D Direct 2023 has come and gone, and with it, a host of tie-ins, virtual playsets, and a smattering of D&D teasers.
D&D Direct 2023 has come and gone and brought with it a glimpse of what lies in store. And the future of D&D, it turns out, is Minecraft. And Vecna. As well as a Virtual Tabletop that comes with its very own marketplace so you can buy even more D&D things, like digital tokens to use in your virtual games.
Whether that fills you with excitement or existential despair matters not. D&D steamrolls ahead past “being a game” and well into brand-dom. Take a look at what was announced in the D&D Direct 2023.
D&D Direct 2023 – Minecraft
Yes, that’s right, D&D and Minecraft are crossing over, both ways, in fact you can currently claim your own Minecraft supplement on D&D Beyond, and before too long there’ll be a DLC pack for Minecraft that includes a story-themed adventure where players create a D&D character and adventure in a Minecraft-ized version of the Forgotten Realms.
Once there, you’ll find beholders, displacer beasts, and more. This is perhaps the biggest crossover that D&D has had, and may likely reach more people than even Stranger Things.
And here we see D&D’s brand identity plans on full display. Because the Direct 2023 wasn’t about announcing new D&D adventures or books, but rather it showed off all the new ways you can “engage with the brand.”
At the heart of that: the D&D Movie: Honor Among Thieves. D&D HAT has already been a success. The movie just had to be made. It doesn’t matter if it’s good. If it’s bad. That’s all secondary. What really matters is that now there will be D&D Movie tie-in toys, Magic the Gathering cards, prequel novels, and more.
The possibilities are endless for the merchandising team.
What About Actual D&D News?
As far as actual D&D ttrpg news goes, WotC went back over all the books they’ll be releasing this year. And highlighted how each of them connects to a larger story. For instance, Keys from the Golden Vault ties in to the D&D Movie with its visit to Revel’s End prison.
We also got a look at the new Virtual Tabletop, which is a fantastic way to get everyone seated around a table with their laptops open, not making eye contact with one another.
Which is the best way to play D&D, as we all know.
That said, they did drop some hints about upcoming adventures. For instance, Vecna, who recently got a new look, will be back in 2024. Presumably he’ll be heralding in the new edition of D&D, as he once again warps the very fabric of reality. Seriously, this happened going from 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition. The adventure Die Vecna Die! brought about a calamity that resulted in the rules of magic (and D&D) being changed.
That seems likely to be happening here again. We also know that later the Red Wizards and the League of Malevolence will be up to no good. And that, in the upcoming Phandalin Campaign, we’ll get an answer to what those Black Obelisks do (which we already sort of know because they explored them a lot in Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frost Maiden).
But no solid announcements. No book names. No dates.
For a show called D&D Direct, there was very little about the roleplaying game, and a great deal more about how you can get into D&D without having to play D&D.
But get ready for Vecna to return in 2024.
