Dungeons & Dragons could soon return to the Underdark, its perilous subterranean setting, following clues in recent Wizards of the Coast material and announcements at Gen Con 2026. The latest Unearthed Arcana playtest content included "Underdark Options" subclasses, while the D&D Vision Keynote revealed a new initiative called D&D Icons, led by actor and producer Joe Manganiello, which will reunite veteran creators to produce original D&D content. This matters to fans because the Underdark has not featured in an official product for some time, despite being home to some of the game's most iconic monsters and factions.

The D&D Icons lineup includes Dragonlance creators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, Greyhawk loremaster Luke Gygax, and author R.A. Salvatore, best known for popularising the Underdark and the drow through 40 novels featuring the ranger Drizzt Do'Urden. While Weis, Hickman and Gygax have confirmed projects on Dragonlance and Greyhawk respectively, Salvatore's contribution remains unannounced, though many suspect an Underdark-focused product given his history with the setting since introducing Drizzt in 1988's The Crystal Shard. The Underdark, first referenced by Gary Gygax in 1978 and formally named by Douglas Niles in 1986, is known for its hostile environment and unique inhabitants, including beholders, mind flayers, drow and duergar.