Dungeons and Dragons players who manage their campaigns through D&D Beyond are going to be getting a ton of new tools in the coming months thanks to a suite of new DM-focused features for the VTT.
D&D Beyond Reveals DM Scene Prep and Custom Uploads
Earlier this month at Gen Con 2026, Dungeons and Dragons revealed a ton of announcements about new products, initiatives, and other updates that were on the horizon for the TTRPG. Amongst those updates were some teasers about new tools coming to D&D Beyond later this year and into 2027.
Now that Gen Con 2026 has wrapped up, the D&D Beyond team is back with some more details that offer a sneak peek about how the upcoming features will look and work when they roll out on the VTT.
The next big content push for D&D Beyond seems to be all about making life easier for DMs, which is definitely an area where the tool has been lacking.
The biggest new feature is the DM Scene Prep. This tool looks like it will allow DMs to mark up Maps with notes ahead of encounters to help better prepare obstacles, puzzles, lore drops, and art reveals.
“Stop jumping between tabs and flipping between pages to find the notes you wrote for this scene. Instead, put just what you need, right where you’re already playing. Scene Prep gives DMs the ability to put their prep notes straight into maps, keying them to scene pins on the map. We’re putting the final touches on this feature and will get that in your hands real soon!”
Additionally, the enhanced DM tools are also going to give dungeon masters more control with additional customizable upload options. This enhancement will allow DMs to bring their own art into the game for character tokens, stickers, and reveals.
“We’re working on two different ways to upload custom content into Maps – drag-and-drop for temporary, one-time use stickers, reveals, and replacement token art, as well as persistent storage for custom Stickers and Reveals. Populate a tavern with Commoners that all look different, draw a picture of the boat your players stole last session and use it as a sticker, or reveal an image of a strange glyph with an embedded clue to the puzzle you homebrewed. Custom Uploads will let you play however you want – whether it’s official content or a fully homebrewed world.”
The last big teaser focused on bringing tools to DMs who want to use D&D Beyond, but aren’t necessarily using the Maps feature.
“We also love to play with physical minis, physical dice, and physical maps. We know that sometimes you don’t need a map, but would still appreciate having some digital assistance to stay organized and keep the game flowing.
To better support DMs no matter how they prefer to play, physical or online, with Maps or with other VTTs, we’re kicking off an initiative to lift the DM tools we’ve been building inside of Maps to be accessible even if you aren’t using the VTT. And yes, this will also include a refresh of the Encounter Builder!”
The update didn’t commit to a specific release date for any of these new features, but it sounds like they’ll be arriving in a series of updates throughout the rest of 2026 and into 2027. As they arrive, it will be very interesting to see how the community reacts and what sort of additional improvements are made based on player feedback.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons news and updates.
Dungeons and Dragons is available now at local game shops and digitally through D&D Beyond, Roll20, and other online services.
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