One of D&D’s Best 5e Adventures Turns 10 This Year, And We Could Get a Revival

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Curse of Strahd is one of the most popular D&D adventures from the game’s 5th edition. It brings players to the gothic horror setting of Ravenloft, where they tangle with mysterious mists and the strange Count Strahd von Zarovich. This iconic D&D campaign first arrived back in March 2016, so it’s about to celebrate its 10th birthday. And some fans are hoping that means we can expect a return to Ravenloft in 2026.

What Makes Curse of Strahd Such a Solid 5e Adventure

Image courtesy of Wizards of the Coast

Because it’s so beloved, Curse of Strahd is a popular introductory adventure for new players. It was my personal first experience with D&D 5e, and it’s a campaign I won’t soon forget. The tale brings players to Barovia, a mysterious village in the D&D setting of Ravenloft. This gothic horror setting wasn’t new for Curse of Strahd, as it and its iconic vampire, Strahd, have been around since the 1980s. But for many modern players, Curse of Strahd may well have been their first step into Ravenloft.

As one of D&D‘s best horror campaigns, Curse of Strahd offers a unique way to engage with adventure. While many might imagine a D&D campaign as a sprawling journey across the lands, Curse of Strahd forces players and DMs to get creative with a smaller space. Due to the overall setup of the story, your PCs literally can’t leave Barovia once they arrive there. And this is part of the adventure’s charm, and it lets players truly get to know one area and work to unravel its mysteries.

For parties eager to get into roleplay, with plenty of exploration and well-balanced combat, Curse of Strahd is hard to beat. It’s got a fun premise, with vampires, magic, and a little horror to dig into. Its smaller scope makes it easy for newer DMs and players to enjoy, while still offering a lot of opportunity to customize the story. The things my party got up to in Barovia have become long-standing lore in our friend group, and for good reason.

Though it’s turning 10 years old this year, Curse of Strahd remains one of the most popular pre-written campaigns in 5e. And with 2025’s roadmap skipping new, fully-fledged campaign books altogether, D&D fans are hoping for big things in this year’s lineup. Including, perhaps, a return to Ravenloft.

Why D&D Fans Think New Ravenloft Sourcebooks Could Be Headed Our Way in 2026

Image courtesy of Wizards of the Coast’

With Curse of Strahd set to celebrate its 10th anniversary in March, fans are hoping to see Wizards mark the occasion. In its most basic form, this could mean an updated 2024 rules revised version of the classic horror adventure. But thanks to some of the spookier Unearthed Arcana of recent years, fans are hopeful that we could see a bit more for Ravenloft in 2026.

The Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd novel revisited the iconic Barovia last year. But in terms of official source materials, we’ve not really visited Ravenloft for a few years. The 2021 campaign sourcebook, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, dug into the details for the horror setting. But like many recent D&D sourcebooks, it didn’t offer a full campaign. Instead, players got a taste of the horrors with a one-shot called The House of Lament.

That means it’s been 10 years since the last full Ravenloft campaign. And fans have reason to suspect we might be getting a new one this year. Along with the anniversary of Curse of Strahd, players point to an Unearthed Arcana released in May 2025. Mixed in among Eberron and Psion updates, Wizards shared playtest versions of new Horror Subclasses for D&D 5e’s 2024 rules revision. What better reason to try out some new horror subclasses than planning a return to the iconic setting of Ravenloft?

As of now, D&D hasn’t confirmed any plans to celebrate Curse of Strahd or Ravenloft in 2026. However, it does seem like this could be the perfect time to bring us a new adventure in Ravenloft, or at least something shiny to celebrate the legacy of Curse of Strahd.

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