New Dungeons & Dragons Release Suffers Last-Minute Delay

Dungeons & Dragons is gearing up for the imminent release of its crossover with World of Warcraft, but has hit a last-minute snag. The collaboration between the legendary tabletop game and the iconic MMORPG is set to be a major outing, adapting the latter's species, classes, raids, locations, enemies, and more to pen-and-paper. Special rules are even being (re)introduced for the D&D and WoW adventures, but there may be some issues actually getting started.

The early access date for Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft is November 3, but shipping complications have potentially spoiled the big day. "An unforeseen delay in shipment in North America" has caused numerous physical D&D: WoW products to potentially miss their scheduled arrival at "some local hobby or game stores," according to an official notice on D&D Beyond. "Exact delay timing will vary locally," but all the early access items are expected to arrive sometime in the two weeks leading up to full release on November 17.

Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft Hit With Shipping Delays

Those who ordered D&D: WoW items from their local game shop will likely have to check in with the shop itself for shipping updates—if they're even available—as the delays seem to be inconsistent across both areas and products. The official announcement of the delay notes that the least affected items are the Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion books (alternate-art cover and Collector's Edition seemingly included) and the Murloc miniature. All should arrive within a few days of November 3, with most still being on time.

The most affected, on the other hand, are the Alliance and Horde miniature packs. These have effectively been removed from the lineup's early access, now arriving in stores "on or around November 17," when the D&D: WoW crossover enjoys its full release. The full list of potentially impacted items is below:

• Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion
• Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft Gameplay Expansion (alternate-art cover)
• Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft – Collector’s Edition Gameplay Expansion
• Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft Dungeon Master’s Screen
• Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft – Icecrown Citadel Adventure Map Pack
• Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft – Murloc Mini
• Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft Official Miniatures: Horde Pack
• Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft Official Miniatures: Alliance Pack

A delay like this is likely to only affect a subset of Dungeons & Dragons players. Early access is reserved for paying D&D Beyond members, who either get one- or two-week early access to pre-ordered books, depending on their subscription tier. This is a major selling point for Wizards of the Coast's subscription, though, so it's a significant blow to those who pay for the service (and who may have already made plans to play D&D: WoW).

D&D: WoW's Full Release Remains November 17

The silver lining for most Dungeons & Dragons players who also happen to be World of Warcraft players is that the collaboration's full release on November 17 does not appear to be affected by the shipping issues. D&D: WoW is shaping up to be a significant new chapter for the roleplaying game, and though the early access delay is unfortunate, the full release is still set to be a big day for both franchises.

Azeroth will sadly have to wait for those who may be most excited about the crossover content. The delay coming just days ahead of early access is also a bit of extra salt in the wound. With some luck, the shipping problems won't be as bad as possible, and those with pre-orders can still get Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft a bit early.

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Franchise Dungeons & Dragons Original Release Date January 26, 1974 Publisher Wizards of the Coast, TSR Inc. Designer E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson Player Count 4-8 Players Recommended Age Recommendation 12+ 0:00 / 0:00