5 Perfect D&D Universes Beyond Crossovers We Need to See After World of Warcraft

In a truly jam-packed presentation at Gen Con, Dungeons & Dragons unveiled its plans for the next year. The 2027 roadmap includes some exciting returns to classic settings, including Dark Sun and Greyhawk. But it also introduced a more controversial new venture: D&D‘s own spin on Universes Beyond. The new lineup of D&D crossovers will begin with a World of Warcraft sourcebook later this year, followed by Star Wars in late 2027. Beyond that, it’s a blank slate.

Universes Beyond has been met with a mixed reception from Magic: The Gathering fans over the years. Some love the big IP crossovers, while others feel that it’s a cash grab gimmick that cheapens the hobby. So far, reactions to D&D‘s own Universes Beyond have been pretty similar. As a nerd who loves when my favorite things crossover with my other favorite things, however, I’ve always been a fan of Universes Beyond. That means I greeted the news of D&D Universes Beyond with a wishlist for which IP they absolutely need to collaborate with next. Now, I pass my top suggestions for future D&D crossover content on to you.

5) The Lord of the Rings

There’s one reason why The Lord of the Rings isn’t higher on my list of essential crossovers for D&D Universes Beyond. The iconic world of Middle-earth already has a pretty robust third-party D&D supplement in the form of The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying. It’s compatible with 5e and available directly in D&D Beyond, which is pretty darn close to an official crossover already. However, I can’t help but daydream about what a fully fledged, official crossover would look like.

Of course, fans also have The One Ring, a robust LOTR tabletop RPG in its own right. And The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying is a 240-page book, packed with D&D-compatible rules for exploring Middle-earth. That makes it just under the length of the upcoming World of Warcraft supplement. As such, while getting an official, 5.5e take on D&D meets Lord of the Rings would be fantastic, this isn’t as high on my list of priorities. But I still wouldn’t be mad if it happens at some point.

4) Dungeon Crawler Carl

Given that Dungeon Crawler Carl is the breakout fantasy series of the moment, this feels like an obvious pitch. Granted, with Universes Beyond already planned out for 2026 and 2027, it might not quite be striking while the iron is hot by the time a Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Crawler Carl sourcebook hits the scene. Still, this series feels like one that could have staying power, especially with a TV adaptation on the way. Plus, it’s inherently all about a big long dungeon crawl, which is just classic D&D vibes all around.

I’m far from the first person to think Dungeon Crawler Carl should enter the TTRPG space. In fact, a fully fledged Dungeon Crawler Carl tabletop RPG is already in the works. We’re also getting a special Dungeon Crawler Carl expansion for Renegade Game Studios’ Unstoppable TTRPG. But if my own table is any indication, some groups aren’t going to stray far from their D&D roots. So a sourcebook that brings Carl, Princess Donut, and the world of Dungeon Crawler Carl to D&D would no doubt be a welcome addition to the fantasy series’ tabletop lineup.

3) Game of Thrones

Like many long-running fantasy franchises, Game of Thrones has made its way to the TTRPG world. In fact, there have been two official tabletop games based on George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. However, both are pretty hard to come by now, as they’re out of print. That means the time for an official Dungeons & Dragons expansion set in Westeros is more than ripe. And honestly? I think it could work.

Dragons play a key part in the world of Westeros, and I think it would be interesting to see how that would play out in the D&D system. After all, dragon is right in the name, and it’d be fun to see a new take on how dragons function in the same system. Plus, Martin is always looking for an excuse to not finish Winds of Winter as far as I can tell, so odds are good he’d be down to help consult on the project.

2) Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy is a bit of a different take on the fantasy genre, and it could be an interesting addition to D&D. Plus, the franchise is already a Universes Beyond alum from the Magic: The Gathering set. So I don’t think I’m going too out on a limb when I say this one could really happen. And I hope that it does. Final Fantasy has its own official TTRPG in the form of the Final Fantasy 14 TTRPG, and it does use a d20 system already. But there’s so much more to Final Fantasy than its MMO.

I’d love to see a nice, expansive sourcebook that brings the world and lore of Final Fantasy to D&D 5e. I’m talking mechanics for Chocobo riding and plenty of items you can only buy from Moogle merchants. And the potential for interesting new subclasses is pretty solid, too. Whether it’s based on a specific game or a more holistic look at the JRPG’s world, this could make for an interesting expansion indeed.

The moment the possibility of playing D&D: Skyrim entered my mind, it landed itself at the top of this list. I have played through Skyrim a potentially concerning number of times and own every Elder Scrolls cookbook to date. With Elder Scrolls 6 still likely a ways out and The Elder Scrolls Online forced to pull back on its ambitious roadmap, I’m always here for more ways to engage with Tamriel. And somehow, Elder Scrolls has never gotten a TTRPG adaptation.

Given the timeline for the first unannounced Universes Beyond D&D release and Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda and Wizards of the Coast have an opportunity to do the coolest thing ever. Imagine it with me. The year is 2028, and Elder Scrolls 6 is finally coming out. But that’s not all. D&D is also putting out an official Elder Scrolls sourcebook. Quite frankly, it’s the dream, and if it happens, no one would see me for months.