Dungeons & Dragons has delayed its upcoming release, The Book of Many Things, over multiple manufacturing issues.
Developer Wizards of the Coast confirmed that the physical release would not launch as expected over issues with the accompanying Deck of Many Things. Initially planned for launch on November 14, the physical copies won’t ship until the developer resolves the manufacturing issue. Per Polygon, executive producer Kyle Brink disclosed the nature of the problem.
“We are going to be suspending the ship date until we can get to the bottom of this and re-manufacture and re-distribute copies that don’t have these issues,” Brink said. “The defect rate is too high. I cannot in good conscience ship this stock. We need to fully inspect it, understand exactly how many units are defective — all that.”
The Deck of Many Things’ Defective Copies
The box set presented three primary issues, all related to The Deck of Many Things. It includes the expanded deck — containing 66 cards from its original 22 — and The Book of Many Things, which develops the lore around the iconic item. While the book appears fine, many copies of the deck have several defects that make them difficult to use or ruin their appearance.
Noted issues include several cards arriving bent, either concave or convex, preventing the deck from laying flat. Others found scratches and other marks on the cards, with the foil rubbing off due to their paper bands. Defective decks also contained cards of various sizes, making it challenging to shuffle them properly. Several cards also had a high degree of variance in image centering.
Brink said players should receive their copy of The Book of Many Things by the end of 2023. However, accessing copies that have already shipped to distribution centers will take time. Wizards of the Coast still needs to determine the cause of the manufacturing issues. This will not impact the digital release. Those who purchased the physical + digital bundle still receive early access on D&D Beyond beginning October 31. Digital-only purchases become available on D&D Beyond starting on November 14.
