This Week In TTRPG News: Gen Con And... HeroScape!?

TTRPG news arrives on Gen Con weekend! While the show is sure to bring forth a lot of announcements and stories, we thought it would be a good idea to pick out some of the big stories from the convention's start. And there have already been some amazing ones! Including the return of an old favorite....

If you’re like me and can’t be at Gen Con but still want to have some tabletop fun this weekend, come see the latest online games available on StartPlaying! 

Gen Con Kicks Off With Ajit George Winning Diana George Award

The massive tabletop gaming convention Gen Con is this weekend, bringing developers, artists, content creators, and more together under one roof once more. It’s time for major announcements about the future of tabletop gaming brands, playtests of the latest products, and celebrations of the best in the space. One such celebration is the Diana Jones Award, a singular trophy that is awarded to excellence in gaming. The 2022 winner of the Diana Jones Award is Ajit George. 

George was on a list of four finalists that all focused on uplifting diverse voices and involving their community in various ways. George is known particularly as an activist for representation in TTRPGs, exemplified by his recent co-creation of D&D’s Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel. 

Wizards Presents Is Coming Soon, Bringing D&D And Magic News

With Radiant Citadel still fresh on many minds and Spelljammer mere days away, Dungeons & Dragons fans probably aren’t giving too much thought to the future. There is Dragonlance to look forward to later this year, and that’s enough for a lot of people. Even so, Wizards of the Coast is holding a Wizards Presents event on August 18. As to what it’s about, all we have to go on is a promotional image that shows both D&D and Magic: The Gathering characters. Stay tuned for a write-up of the announcements as they happen.

New Warhammer 40k TTRPG Is All About The Intrigue

Cubicle 7 announced a new roleplaying game in the 40k universe–Warhammer 40,000: Imperium Maledictum. The system will use the d100 system seen in other 40k RPGs, but with a twist: instead of blasting through heretics as Space Marines, players will be plain old citizens. Well, these citizens are investigators granted limited authority by an Imperial patron. Stories will see player characters probing corruption and intrigue within the Macharian Sector. The idea is for gameplay to focus on careful exploration instead of the explosive action that Warhammer is typically known for.  

HeroScape Is Back!? 

Okay, so it's not TECHNICALLY TTRPG-related, but this is awesome. Avalon Hill put out a very brief teaser during Gen Con. It featured the return of beloved decade-old tabletop strategy game HeroScape. Only now it will be called HeroScape: Age of Annihilation. 

The original HeroScape was a novel concept for its time, featuring stackable hex terrain pieces and colorful miniatures that represented armies from across time and space. It was the multiverse game before the multiverse was a big thing, and also a great introduction to miniature wargaming for children of the 2000s. The teaser shows the hex terrain making its triumphant return, as well as some miniatures of fantasy creatures. When will it release? How much will it cost? Will the miniatures still be rad as heck? We’ll have to wait for a more detailed announcement to find out.