Aloha! It is once again GenCon week. This is arguably one of the biggest weeks for TTRPG news in the industry, and I (Chris Hutton) will be on-site, breaking all the news at the event. It’ll be interviews, live coverage, and a lot more coming out of arguably the biggest four days in tabletop gaming in the United States.

What Does This Mean for You?

Content-wise, expect to see stories going up on the TTRPG Insider website 1-2 times a day from Wednesday to Sunday, with the summary emailed to you by 12 PM EST.

Some of this coverage will be writeups of events or news reveals scheduled for GenCon. Others just might be interviews or pictures. But expect to get something every day between Thursday (July 30) and Sunday (August 2).

We’ll likely take a breather the week after just so I can catch my breath, but I already have a lot of cool stuff in the docket I hope to share with you all going into the next month or so.

If you’re at GenCon, we want to help keep you informed on all the cool stuff that’s going on in the TTRPG space. And if you’re not there, we still want to help you find all the stories and get as excited as you can about this amazing hobby.

There will also be live coverage over on my BlueSky account as best as I can. That includes photos, live-posting, and any pertinent links or announcements

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What to Watch for at GenCon 2026

GenCon has 70,000 attendees, hundreds of gaming companies and thousands of events. What really matters here?

Here are some of the stories I am especially interested in. If you hear anything, feel free to email us at [email protected] or DM me on BlueSky.

• D&D: While everyone will admit it is the biggest game, brand head Dan Ayoub has been building up a lot of hype for the Vision Keynote on Thursday. We expect this to not only be a preview of the upcoming “Season of Magic” but also a look at what future seasons might look like, including the “Season of Champions” during Q3 and Q4 of this year. Of course, this could all just be a lot of hype, but there’s a lot of questions about what D&D wants to be in the air.

• White Wolf: The creators of the World of Darkness have made a serious return to GenCon, with panels planned and playtests scheduled. Sixth Edition of Vampire the Masquerade is all but confirmed. Now it’s just a question of where the game goes after Fifth Edition. Will its new leadership present a game that excites new and old fans of VTM?

• Paizo: The game publisher is still reeling after an internal reorganization and layoffs. It doesn’t appear to be affecting their release plans, however. The company is sharing early previews of 13 Omens, its upcoming horror game at GenCon. The rules-lite horror game is arguably the first new TTRPG from Paizo in a while (not counting the Starfinder 2e update from last year.) How will it hold up? Who knows.

• Darrington Press: The publisher behind Critical Role is releasing its first expansion at the end of August. But what comes next for the game? There are some panels planned to preview what comes next, but CR remains at the center of everyone’s focus. What is next, anyway?

• The Ennies: As always, the prominent awards will be announced at GenCon this weekend. Who will win? It’s going to be a close race between Darrington Press and Son of Oak, based on the number of nominees.

• AI at GenCon: As artificial intelligence becomes a more prominent source of content and storytelling within the United States, it continues to saturate gaming culture. Some are openly and strongly opposed to it, while others are trying to find what they call ethical ways to incorporate it. And others are just looking for a quick buck. There are a multitude of panels occurring during GenCon that involve AI from both sides. I will also be curious if any of this makes its way to the floor. If you hear anything, please shoot me an email.

We’re also curious to see if turnout begins to slow down amid growing economic stressors and the ongoing construction at GenCon. Indiana clearly hopes to expand the convention center to support more attendees, but the event is heavily marred with construction all week.

But that’s just my focus. What are you excited for the most? Let me know online or on social media. And if you see me, say hi! I’ll likely be wearing Hawaiian shirts with nerdy stuff on them all week long.

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