Monday, August 10, 2026

Gen Con 2026 RPG Observations: Five Tiers of Interest

Looking at the announced play sessions and how the tables actually filled (based on available seats, player-hours, and final sell-out patterns), a clear hierarchy emerged:

  • D&D – still the clear top tier by a healthy margin, but the 90% leader narrative no longer applies
  • Pathfinder + Starfinder – the institutional alternative
  • Daggerheart / Pirate Borg / Call of Cthulhu – the mid-tier systems that convert attention into filled tables
  • DCC + Shadowdark – the strong fantasy alternatives
  • Shadowrun + Marvel Multiverse – established but lower relative heat

D&D remains the biggest single block of seats and player-hours, but the gap is no longer the old “everything else is a rounding error” picture. The second and third tiers are visible, active, and drawing real demand. That’s the story the 2026 schedule told.

No comments:

Post a Comment