The news that many Dungeons & Dragons fans have been waiting to hear has been announced, as Wizards of the Coast will be selling digital and physical bundles of the new D&D books. This was possible due to Hasbro purchasing the D&D Beyond website and its assets, providing Wizards of the Coast with the ability to distribute both digital and physical D&D products on the service.

D&D fans have the ability to choose between digital services for their games, using pen and paper products, or a combination of the two. The benefits of an online service like D&D Beyond is that the player can access their entire library without carrying a book, and they only need to bring a computer or smart device to the session. The downside of digital-only is that it requires an Internet connection, and if the player loses access to their account, then all of that content is gone. The physical books can be a nightmare to carry around (especially for the DM) and players forget their character sheets all the time, but books are easily skimmable and easier on the eyes for a full read. D&D Beyond has also delisted books in the past, while players always have access to physical ones. The D&D books can also be resold once the group is done with them. It's not uncommon for groups to use a mixture of methods, as it's always helpful to have a physical copy of the three main rulebooks during a session, even if the rest is online.

D&D players will soon be able to purchase both versions of a book as part of the same package. Wizards of the Coast has announced during the Wizards Presents showcase that there will be digital and physical D&D bundles available in the future, which was possible following the D&D Beyond acquisition. This means players won't need to choose between the versions, or need to shell out double for both.

D&D Will Soon Have Digital + Physical Bundles


It's unclear whether Wizards of the Coast will start doing this new deal for older books, but the Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen D&D book, which is set to launch on December 6, will have a digital + physical bundle offer. This bundle will also give players early access to the book, with the digital version being available to them on November 22. The same is also true for the Shadow of the Dragon Queen Deluxe Edition, which comes with the Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn board game and a Dragonlance DM screen.

These new physical and digital D&D bundles will be a godsend for players who want the best of both worlds for their games. Players can have the convenience of a physical book, while still having access to the online version if needed. Wizards of the Coast is pushing for a D&D digital service for 5e and these new bundles are a sign of the future of Dungeons & Dragons.