Wizards of the Coast Press Release - Dungeons & Dragons Launches The Sundering

From the Wizards of the Coast Website

Dungeons & Dragons Launches The Sundering;

Invites Fans of Fantasy Entertainment to Make Their Stories Legend

August 6, 2013 - RENTON, WA –The most popular setting in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, The Forgotten Realms, is about to be completely reshaped by an epic event announced today by Wizards of the Coast. The Sundering is an extensive story spanning multiple expressions of the contemporary fantasy entertainment franchise that offers fans the opportunity to impact the fate of the world along the way.

Key milestones in the year-long Sundering storyline will take place in iconic locations like Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter and Icewind Dale, to name a few.  The changes to the Forgotten Realms can be experienced through a series of novels, in-store play experiences, digital offerings, comics, accessories and tabletop RPG adventures. Through these expressions, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fans will be able to engage and impact the fate of the Forgotten Realms forever. 

The Sundering kicks off today with the release of The Companions, The Sundering, Book I by New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore.  His novel depicts the events of the Sundering as seen through the eyes of the world’s most well-known drow ranger, Drizzt Do’ Urden.  Salvatore’s novel is part of collaboration with other New York Times bestselling authors who will each show the changes to the Realms from their heroes’ points of view.

“We are elated to begin this extremely exciting chapter in the history of D&D,” said Nathan Stewart, Dungeons & Dragons Brand Director at Wizards of the Coast. “Utilizing great digital entertainment, dramatic story-telling techniques and thrilling and immersive events, The Sundering ushers in a new era for the future of the franchise.  We invite and encourage the legions of D&D adventurers to join us on this heroic adventure to change the canon of the Realms.”
When the Sundering is complete, the results of these stunning events will have reshaped the Forgotten Realms forever, providing the landscape for future D&D stories.
The Sundering includes:

-       Play & Help Shape the Future

o    Tabletop roleplaying gamers can experience The Sundering first-hand at weekly D&D Encounters in-store play events, where they will utilize a digital tool, the Sundering Adventurer’s Chronicle, to report the outcomes of their play experiences, connect with other players, and participate in activities designed to enhance their Sundering experience. 

-       Mobile Battles

o    Arena of War, the first free-to-play D&D game on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Android devices, is a thrilling 3D battle roleplaying game set in the Forgotten Realms. With modern mechanics like massive in-game events and multiplayer competitions, players are enlisted to battle in a modern-day fight against good and evil to help set the balance of power before the Sundering is complete.

-       Realms-Shattering Novels

o    The most celebrated Forgotten Realms authors have collaborated on a series of six novels: R.A. Salvatore (The Companions), Paul Kemp (The Godborn), Erin Evans (The Adversary), Troy Denning (The Sentinel), Richard Lee Byers (The Reaver) and Ed Greenwood (The Herald). Each novel tells a self-contained story featuring both new and well-loved characters set against the background of the unfolding events that are reshaping the world, beginning with the New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore’s The Companions, The Sundering, Book I, releasing today - August 6^th.

For more information on the Sundering, visit DungeonsandDragons.com/Sundering.

About Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. Wizards' players and fans are members of a global community bound together by their love of both digital gaming and in-person play. The company brings to market a range of gaming experiences under powerful brand names such as MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and KAIJUDO. Wizards is also a publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information about our world renowned brands, visit the Wizards of the Coast Web site at www.wizards.com.