Fortnite, Nintendo and Third-Party Content: A D&D News Roundup

Welcome to TTRPG Insider!

We’re the go-to source for exclusive interviews, analysis, and writing on the TTRPG industry, from Dungeons and Dragons to independent RPGs and everything in between.

If you want to know more, check us out here! If you like what you’re reading, make sure you subscribe.

Today’s issue is a 3-for-1 scoop, with three stories featuring Dungeons and Dragons released in a single day. The TTRPG comes to Fortnite. We also saw Nintendo executives join Hasbro, and D&D Beyond previewed its plans for third-party publishing this quarter. While most of these stories are not terribly exciting on their own, the fact all three occurred today is why I’m featuring it.

Table of Contents

• D&D Comes to Fortnite: A Digital IP Crossover

• Former Nintendo Exec Doug Bowser Joins Hasbro’s Bo …

• DnD Beyond’s Plans for Q1 2026: Eberron, Pugilists …

• Why Does This Matter?

D&D Comes to Fortnite: A Digital IP Crossover

Wizards of the Coast announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with the Fortnite design firms Chartis and Teravision Games to generate five fan-made Fortnite Islands themed around D&D properties. Islands, for those who don’t play Fortnite, are maps/areas generated by either fans or companies that are available to play outside of the traditional game modes (such as Battle Royale, Ballistic, Delulu, etc.). These five maps can be accessed via special codes or by searching in the game.

These maps are community-created, which means that they’re not official content in the same way that Fortnite has created special modes around K-Pop Demon Hunters or Percy Jackson in the past. It’s a little homebrew…or that’s how WOTC is spinning it.

"We're bringing the spirit of D&D homebrew to Fortnite — supporting creators, experimenting in new mediums, and learning how we can introduce D&D to new players," Dungeons & Dragons franchise strategy director Nick Strann said in a press release. "D&D already means so much to all those who have joined us at the table, and we hope that we can make it just as meaningful for millions of Fortnite fans. We very much look forward to hearing player feedback on these creator-made islands and using that feedback to shape future adventures wherever people love D&D."

The maps are pretty unremarkable when it comes to Fortnite news, since third-party maps are released all the time. But it’s also indicative of how D&D is more and more a “lifestyle brand,” to steal a line from Rascal’s Lin Codega. The company benefits more from expanding D&D’s IP beyond the TTRPG space and selling D&D adjacent content than from reinforcing or creating additional books. That’s not to imply there is any evidence of WOTC abandoning the TTRPG. If the mass wave of hires over the last month tell us anything, it’s that WOTC is building a pretty strong team for whatever D&D does next.

The codes for the isles are available in-game or on this Polygon article. I’ll likely check them out when I have a chance, since the press release claims they feature iconic characters like the Red Wizard Valindra Shadowmantle. Shadowmantle is also a Funko Pop as well.

I suspect this is not the last D&D video game crossover we will see. Video games are clearly a fixation among the company’s executives, and the priority when it comes to money.

Whether you’re a designer, content creator or just the biggest fan at your table, TTRPG Insider delivers in-depth reporting, original interviews and regular roundups of the news that you will not find anywhere else. Let us help you become the best designer, player or dungeon master at your table.

Subscribe now and get the advantage you require to excel in this exceptional hobby and industry.

Former Nintendo Exec Doug Bowser Joins Hasbro’s Board of Directors

Hasbro announced on Tuesday that it has brought Doug Bowser, the former president and COO of Nintendo of America, onto its board of directors. Bowser had a fairly successful career as a leader at Nintendo, including overseeing the notably successful release of the Nintendo Switch 2. He stepped down as president on December 31, 2025.

Most boards of directors oversee business developments and ensure the company’s strategy benefits stakeholders; a fairly boring role for the general public. But his joining coincides with Hasbro’s longstanding strategy around the importance of its digital presence and gaming space. Games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Monopoly Go have remained big money-makers for Hasbro over the last few years, and there are few signs of it stopping. We’ve seen constant evidence of WOTC and its leadership relying more and more on video game executives with the hiring of former Halo executive Dan Ayoub and former Activision-Blizzard executive John Hight.

Bowser will also be joined by Carla Vernon, CEO of the Honest Company, a brand best known for beauty and baby products.

"We are delighted to have Doug and Carla join our seasoned and dynamic Board of Directors," said Rich Stoddart, Chair of Hasbro's Board of Directors. "Doug and Carla bring extensive leadership experience across consumer brands and franchise management. Their expertise and guidance will be invaluable as Hasbro continues to execute its long-term innovation and growth strategy."

DnD Beyond’s Plans for Q1 2026: Eberron, Pugilists and Purple Worms

DnD Beyond, the main digital platform for distributing D&D content directly from WOTC, announced the list of third-party content it is releasing on its website. Third-party content has been sold on this website over the last 2-3 years, and its leadership has committed to integrating and selling more of it directly to users. While much of the content was released piecemeal over the last year or so, WOTC strategic leader Laura Hohman released a list of third-party books scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2026. These include:

• Exploring Eberron by Keith Baker

• The Pugilist Class by Benjamin Huffman

• Fast, Purple Worm! Everybody Dies, Vol. 1 by Beadle and Grimm’s

• Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting Pt. 2 by Loot Tavern

• Griffon’s Saddlebag: Book One by The Griffon’s Saddlebag

Hohman also noted the criteria the company has adopted for selecting what to feature on the site. “We look for projects that integrate smoothly with our evolving play tools and bring something distinctive to your table—whether that’s mechanical depth, narrative richness, or a balance of both,” Hohman said. “This isn’t a rigid formula. The evaluation of partnered content is approached with care, curiosity, and a two-way relationship with creators. Our goal is to treat D&D Beyond as a curated experience, one where you can discover great partnered content with confidence.”

Why Does This Matter?

These are all 3 different stories related to D&D. On their own, they’re unremarkable. But together, I think they point to a pertinent reality about this IP and hobby that has been further reinforced. Namely, that D&D has moved well beyond just being its TTRPG self and is more an IP and “lifestyle” product, whether we are speaking of random Fortnite maps, accessories, fashion, or video games.

The digital aspects of the game are becoming increasingly prominent as executives and leadership push for it to be prioritized, something that has been reaffirmed again and again through the hiring of Hight and Ayoub.

The importance of third parties is equally important. We’re seeing more and more third-party creators partner with D&D because it helps them get in front of way more people than selling their products on their own would. Even Paizo and Chaosium, the two TTRPG publishers I see as the closest competitors to D&D, are teaming up to release content for D&D 5e readers.

I suspect that WOTC's focus on digital, lifestyle, and third-party products will remain a priority going into 2026.

What are your thoughts? Send any scoops, tips or press releases to [email protected].