Gamer Goggles

Veteran World of Darkness publisher and former White Wolf business development lead joins Renegade to help steward its rapidly expanding RPG portfolio ?Renegade Game Studios is an award-winning publisher of tabletop games and roleplaying games, known for brands including Heroscape, Axis & Allies, Vampire: The Masquerade, G.I. JOE, Transformers, and Power Rangers. Most recently, Renegade launched the Dungeon Crawler Carl Roleplaying Game, which became the most-funded game in BackerKit history.De Vir brings more than fifteen years of experience in roleplaying game publishing, licensing, and business development, with deep roots in the hobby.Early in her career, De Vir founded Biblioteca Oscura, the Spanish-language licensed publisher for various World of Darkness lines. Under her leadership, the company published more than 35 titles and ran a V20 crowdfunding campaign that became the fifth most-funded crowdfunding project in Spain across all categories. She also distributed the Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Deluxe books across Europe after founding the V20 Europe initiative, and produced a 1,200-person Vampire: The Masquerade event in Madrid.Recently, De Vir has held business development and partnerships management roles at Paradox Interactive and White Wolf where she led the international expansion of World of Darkness roleplaying games across languages, territories, and licensing partners. She also co-created and spearheaded the Storytellers Vault, a community content platform that opened new ways for fans to create, share, and publish material for World of Darkness. She is also an advocate for the ethical use of AI through the AI Ethics Alliance, which she founded in Brussels. Through this alliance, she works to shape responsible AI practices by connecting education, governance, and cross-sector collaboration, with a focus on helping organizations and communities understand and adopt AI in ways that are ethical, inclusive, and socially beneficial.“Dhaunae has spent her career building real, lasting communities and partnerships.” said Scott Gaeta, President & Publisher at Renegade Game Studios. “Our RPG business has rapidly expanded, and Dhaunae is exactly the kind of leader we need to help steward that growth while strengthening the relationships that make these games thrive.”“I am thrilled to join Renegade as Director, RPG Brand,” said De Vir. “I have spent much of my career working with roleplaying communities, licensed worlds, and passionate fanbases, so this role feels like a natural next step. Renegade has shown real care for the brands it publishes, and I am excited to help grow these lines while honoring what makes them meaningful to players.”De Vir’s arrival comes as Renegade continues to grow its RPG division. With upcoming 2nd Editions of its Hasbro RPG line just announced, the EXODUS RPG in partnership with Wizards of the Coast and based on the upcoming video game from Archetype Entertainment, and as it prepares to release the Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG based on Matt Dinniman’s smash hit LitRPG series of the same name.Fans should also look for an announcement very soon about a new franchise joining the Renegade RPG line-up.

It doesn’t matter if this is your first Gen Con, your last, or if you’re a veteran; there is something here for you. Lisa and I are well-seasoned veterans of not just Gen Con but many conventions, thanks to our volunteer and judging experience. I have been attending Gen Con since 2002, and Lisa hasn’t missed since 2018. Which has positioned us to be your travel advisors, well, not really, but we can certainly share a lot of information from packing to the return trip home that we have learned over the last twenty years.

One of the first things I would say you might want to look at is your budget. This is something I learned the hard way. I used to travel blindly (not just to Gen Con) with extra Magic the Gathering cards to pay for my way and hopefully not have any out of pocket expenses – that I didn’t have money for. I was foolish. I hope I can give you a lot of wisdom with this. I have learned to look at conventions the same way I was taught to look at survival – food, water, and shelter. If you take those three things to heart, your Gen Con experience will be much more enjoyable. Of the three, water and food are the two easiest to take care of, especially if you drive to the show as we do. Even if you are flying, you can pack enough snacks and protein that you can survive. Shelter is a big expense and could be difficult to obtain. With that said, I have never used the room draw, and we usually manage to stay out by the airport or within twenty minutes.

If you take water with you, it will help you save money and it will make you feel much better mentally and will help with those aches and pains. Dehydration is probably a gamer’s biggest demon; it sneaks up on you, fogs your brain, makes you ache, changes your blood flow, and much more. I try to drink 20 oz. or more of water every hour when I am as active as I am at a convention. The fact is, Gen Con is as much work as it is a vacation for me. It is often hot, I drink, and I am physically. All of which help set me up to be dehydrated. So please, pack yourself one water bottle or refill one at the water stations that are all over the convention center. This also saves you space – one water bottle over a case is a lot less to pack. Bonus Drip Drop hydration packets go a long way to keep you hydrated and alert

Food is a much bigger monster to tackle because there is so much to consider. It comes down to what you are interested in: food trucks, local restaurants, or cooking in the room. I will speak a lot more on food in the future, but we think that balance is a good thing. Lisa and I really try to maintain a budget when we travel. One of the best ways we do that is with what we eat. For us, the first thing we look for is a Hotel with breakfast, preferably a hot one. I can’t tell you how important this meal is for me at a convention. If I don’t eat a good breakfast, I get tired fast. We almost always complement our hotel breakfast with a protein shake. If you can’t get a hotel with breakfast, make sure you get a microwave. You can always hit a grocery store and cook your own eggs – just make sure you pack the needed utensils. If you’re staying downtown, there is a Whole Foods a couple of blocks from the Indiana Convention Center. After that, we pack our lunches – we almost never pay for our lunch. In most of our travels, we ate out of cans, usually tuna or salmon and canned vegetables, but we are evolving, and now we do prepare everything from meat and cheese boards to chicken pesto salads. It doesn’t stop there, we reward ourselves every night with dinner. We only eat out two times over our six days at Gen Con. On the other nights, I cook us a relaxing meal in the room. This year or hotel menu is going to include Mediterranean power bowls, black bean and and corn quesadillas, and a stir fry. I know those aren’t all easy to do in a microwave, and I am not only going to use a microwave this year. I got an induction burner for Father’s Day this year, and it’s a perfect hotel cooker. There are a million things you can cook in your room if you are responsible with your time, like chilis and stews. If any of you want tips or ideas for your hotel room meals – just ask. The only thing I didn’t touch on is snacks. We pack protein bars, Epic bars, a high-protein trail mix with nuts and dried fruit, and usually some pork rinds.

It doesn’t matter if you are walking to your hotel, driving, or getting a cab, it’s important that you learn the area. I highly suggest you get a local map of the downtown area. I don’t trust GPS in the city of Indiana. I can’t tell you how many appointments I missed because my GPS couldn’t find me. If you are walking, know how much time it takes to walk from A to b and plan for extra time just in case something goes wrong. If you are traveling at night, pay attention, and if possible, use the buddy system.

When packing, before you leave for Indy, consider your comfort. A good pair of shoes is a key to success. I buy fresh socks and underwear for every show I attend. I bring a rice pack and a heating pad. If you are flying and need a special pillow, then by all means bring it, these things make your mental health well healthy. Whenever I travel, I take two extra pairs of socks and underwear, a t shirt for everyday, at least one button down shirt, and one extra pair of pants. Beyond that, I bring along all of the standard hygiene stuff. Please, make sure you shower. You may not always be alone in the space that you call yours. Besides, I find that a nice shower to end the day is often relaxing. With that said, if you are worried about germs, I find the restrooms outside of the convention center to be less crowded and therefore more likely to have less germs.

Up to this point everything has been about what to pack, but once you arrive at Gen Con, I suggest you explore. Every year I arrive on Wednesday and walk my trail. That is, I take may schedule and walk it from each event, and interview that is on my schedule so I have an idea of where I need to be. This does two things for me: one, it allows me to take in some of the surroundings before I really start, for example, I may stumble across a tournament area that I was thinking was elsewhere. Two, it allows me to scout, take notes, and pictures of things I may want to do. In other words, explore, stop and listen to one of the performers, check out some miniature terrain, participate in paint and take, and parous Authors Alley. Gen Con is so big, and it is really easy to put the blinders on. I know from experience it is really easy to miss something I wish I had seen – I do it almost every year.

A trip to Gen Con wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Vendors Hall. Here is what every attendee should know. One, they no longer allow carts/dollies in the hall except for special needs. Two, use the map to scout your targets before the show and plan you entry points. If you come in the wrong door, it can add five or even ten minutes to your trip. Three, respect the space of others. I shouldn’t have to say this, but every year I see something happen, like cutting people off, or not paying attention, and knocking something out of a booth. Remember, everyone is there to have fun.

If you are going to try and see the entire exhibitors hall there are a few things that I think should never be over looked. Entrepreneurs Avenue is where the newest game companies can be found. And if you move through it on Sunday, you might just stumble across that crazy deal. While moving through and playing the demos, don’t forget about the coupon book – some really good deals. Keep in mind the hall is broken down into blocks like the family fun zone and the RPG aisle. If you play every demo and check out every booth, you can make the exhibitors hall a four-day trek.

I hope this brings some basic principles, like food, shelter, and water, to the forefront of not just your Gen Con travels but all of your travels. If I have given you ideas about food for your trips, I would love to hear about them. Again, if you want some ideas about lunches and/or hotel dinners, just reach out.

Matt Lemke

This is one of the best ways to plan for Gen Con!

The BGG Gen Con Preview is live!Coming to Gen Con? BGG creates a “Gen Con Preview” list of all the hot new releases. You can check out the full list here, or just the Allplay titles here.

Even if you aren’t going, the Preview is a great place to see what’s coming out so that you can add games to your wishlist from home. We have 21 New Games since last Gen Con, so go check it out!

As you browse, we’d love for you to give the Allplay games a thumbs up (by clicking the thumb to the left of each game’s image). This lets us know what you’re excited for and helps other gamers know what to look out for!See The Allplay TitlesSee The Full Gen Con PreviewComing To Gen Con: “It might well be one of the most exciting games you’ve ever played. It is superb. It is awesome.”
-Shut Up & Sit DownContainer – One of the greatest economic games of all time. Build factories, produce containers, set prices, negotiate with your rivals, and sail across the sea to trade. Obviously, buy low, sell high. But, can you make it happen?See The Gen Con Preview
“Every time you think you’ve seen what this box can do, it opens up your mind again.” – Lincoln Hoppe | The Game BardMountain Goats: Legacy – The goats are back! Roll and combine dice to race up the mountain. Get to the top to score, but don’t get knocked off! As your story progresses, you’ll unlock special ability and face tougher challenges. The mountain itself might even transform beneath your hooves.See The Gen Con Preview“It’s got a really satisfying puzzle. Every time I play this, the first thing I want to do after seeing my score is to try again and get a better score… but it never feels overbearing. It always retains that cozy vibe” – Ezeekat Enchanted Ivy– Our very first dedicated solo game! Expand your inn, place guests based on their preferences, and connect the magical ivy to have the perfect stay. See The Gen Con Preview“Absolutely fantastic game! Very simple concept with a real fun twist that always causes uproars and hysterics.”
– BGG User ItcantstormJibber Jabble – A cooperative, word-association party game. Players spells one letter each. The catch? They aren’t allowed to discuss what your clue they’re trying to spell. The first time you have a perfect clue in mind, but the person next to you says a letter you weren’t expecting at all… well, that’s Jibber Jabble.See The Gen Con Preview “Phantom Ink has gone down brilliantly every time I’ve played it, and it may even replace our other similar games… Teaching the game takes a matter of minutes and it plays well with a wide range of player counts and ages”
– PROFDECUBE, Zatu GamesPhantom Ink – Commune with your clue-givers to decipher a secret word before the other team! Answers from beyond the grave are public, but the questions are private. If you’re on the same wavelength as your spirit, stop the answer mid-spelling.See The Gen Con Preview Manipulate the meme market in real time in Stonk Market. Run the best television network in The Networks: Primetime. Frantically yell breakfast items at your teammates in French Toast.

You know that we always come to Gen Con with a truckload of new titles. We can’t wait for you to try them!See The Gen Con PreviewLet’s all play.

The monsters keep getting bigger, and we’re running out of time…
Soothwardens by Navaar Seik-Jackson is in its final 48 hours on BackerKit! Back now You are receiving this email because you signed up, made a purchase, or have been part of a crowdfunding fulfillment campaign. What is Soothwardens? Navaar Seik-Jackson brings his renowned love of larger-than-life fights and his fascination with the unique connections that bind both communities and individuals together to Soothwardens: 200+ pages of rich, vibrant non-Eurocentric fantasy worldbuilding and deep-layered mechanics around tracking, learning about, and battling the mysterious colossal monsters who keep forcing their way into the realm. 
Protect against colossal monsters In Soothwardens, you play as one of the many gifted protectors of reality. Traversing Nyobekeer, a world split apart and reshaped into a ring-like continent by mages long past, you will encounter the many peoples and creatures of the land. Like you, monsters on a separate plane of existence roam, looking for cracks in reality to break through. When these Breakers find their way in, it is your job to hunt them down alongside your partner. Together you will protect, together you will fight, because what you do cannot be done alone. 
Rely on skill, connections, and resources, not luck
Soothwardens is a Luckless game, meaning there are no dice, no cards, and no random outcomes. Using two resource tracks, you will investigate, hunt, and fight Breakers. Throughout every aspect of play, Wardens will also deal with the Link to their partner(s), explore the world, and help communities along the way.  Explore the strange magic connecting you to each other and the realmWardens operate through an intense and intimate magick called a Link. This connection allows for two things that a Warden needs. One: it is a tether to reality, allowing them to return safely while fighting in the Break. Two: it allows the Linked Wardens to sense how the other is faring in their fight. They feel their pain, they sense their emotions, and they use this Link to heal and care for each other. Wardens are each other’s spear and shield. A confidant for the words they’ll never say. A union, and one no Warden would wish to have ripped from them in the midst of a fight against the Breakers.
Brought to life with a powerhouse teamAdditional story writing by award-winning horror and TTRPG creator Josephine Kim. The bold and colorful afrofantasy art of Barbados-based illustrator Joshua Clarke. The evocative set design inspired the architecture and textile renderings of LA illustrator Zakiya Goggins. 
 

PLEDGING OPEN: GURPS Ring of Fire Steve Jackson Games
Pledging has begun for a new GURPS book on BackerKit

AUSTIN, TX 6/10/2026 – The year is 2000, and the residents of the quaint and quiet town of
Grantville, West Virginia, are in for the surprise of their lives. On what they assumed would be a
normal day, the town was suddenly surrounded by a mysterious, otherworldly ring of fire that
transported everyone to 1630s Germany and the Thirty Years’ War. The residents survived –
and changed the world.
GURPS Ring of Fire, created with Baen Books, is based on the collaborative Ring of Fire
series initially penned by Eric Flint. The largest alt-history setting ever created, it encompasses
hundreds of books, anthologies, and magazines. GURPS Ring of Fire draws on these sources
to create a thrilling TTRPG experience featuring contributions from a number of writers of the
series – Griffin Barber, Charles E. Gannon, Walter H. Hunt, and Robert E. Waters. William H.
Stoddard, a fan-favorite award-winning GURPS author, edited and adapted the Ring of Fire
series to be compatible with GURPS Fourth Edition, while Larry Elmore created the cover art.
The timeline runs from 1632-1637 and includes descriptions for nine famous organizations and
dozens of notable individuals. Character-creation rules will help players to explore this new
frontier of unlimited possibilities. A system is in place for reinventing or copying uptime gear, and
players will find notes on weapons, vehicles, and key equipment. The book is visually enhanced
with maps of important regions, not only in Grantville, but also beyond.
The BackerKit campaign for GURPS Ring of Fire is now open for pledging. GURPS Ring of
Fire requires GURPS Basic Set to play, and players who do not have a copy or wish to upgrade
can secure their copy of the upcoming GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition Revised book in the
campaign, but it will also be available late this summer on Warehouse 23.
About Steve Jackson Games: Based in Austin, Texas, Steve Jackson Games has published
games, game books, and magazines since 1980. Its catalog of hits includes Munchkin, Zombie
Dice, Car Wars, the GURPS roleplaying system, Ogre, Illuminati, and more. Munchkin, Ogre,
and Illuminati also have digital versions on Steam and other platforms, bringing tabletop
classics to a new generation of fans. In 2025, SJ Games welcomed Possum Creek as an
imprint. Possum Creek has created the award-winning Wanderhome, Yazeba’s Bed &
Breakfast, and the upcoming Seven-Part Pact.

Para Bellum Wargames, the developer and publisher of the fantasy Regimental Miniature Wargame “Conquest: The Last Argument of Kings” and updated Skirmish system “Conquest: First Blood” releases a completely new Model for the Nords in April. The Einherjar defeated the Jotnar and earned their undying fealty when Angbjorn, the Bear, defeated Alvaldi, the Shaman King of the Ice Jotunn. While this saga has been told and retold, embellished by every generation to make the victor more glorious and the defeated more wretched, few understand just how close the duel was or how much was at stake.

“This model includes bonus pieces for our gamers to allow their creativity to unfold…” says Stavros Halkias, Founder and Creative Director. “Depicting the climax of that famous duel, Winter’s End lets you field Alvaldi (as an Ice Jotnar) and 2 Angjorns (as a Konungyr or Blooded) one may be used individually in battle and the other depicting him mid leap in the thick of the action!”

Sold as a set of 3 miniatures, fans can create this model in any number of ways, with pre-cut spaces for magnets for gamers to recreate the flying effect pictured, on their gaming table. Each box will include two separate head molds as well allowing for custom creation. The Winter’s End Founder’s Exclusive plays as an Ice Jotnar in game and is considered an alternate pose or upgraded model for in game action. This is a limited edition of 990 pieces, each sequentially numbered.

The Nords Winter’s End is available for Pre-Order now at an SRP of USD 175.99 /EU 159.99. This will be released on April 30th worldwide, while numbered supplies last. A very limited quantity will debut at Adepticon where we are launching this edition in booth 1202.

www.para-bellum.com www.facebook.com/ParaBellumWarGames

CATALYST GAME LABS’ BATTLETECH REFIT & REDEPLOYMENT 

Catalyst Game Labs refits the seminal BattleTech IP with two new box sets and a rulebook for redeployment in August, and available at the Gen Con Game Fair 2026. The same game and universe you’ve loved for four decades receives its best-yet presentation of art, fiction, miniatures and rules. 

For the first time in more than thirty years, a new BattleTech Starter Box, Core Box and Core Rulebook were developed simultaneously for a joint release in August 2026. In preparation for this refit, Catalyst ran the largest public playtest in BattleTech’s four-decade history, ensuring all revisions to our game of heavy metal mayhem were well-honed and battle-tested. 

While rules changes were made to improve the tabletop experience, this is not a new edition of BattleTech. As always, BattleTech remains remarkably the same as when it first appeared in 1985’s Second Edition boxed set.

Starter Box 

The Starter Box builds off of the success of the Beginner Box and Essentials, but ups the ante. As a starting point for new players, it eases novice MechWarriors into the BattleTech game as smoothly as ever. But now, the reverse of each half-page record sheet offers a taste of the exciting equipment and rules that the full BattleTech game brings to your table. The box includes two fan-favorite, ilClan-era BattleMechs: the dogged Hammerhead and the brutal Kontio!

Core Box 

Likewise, the new Core Box uses the bestselling A Game of Armored Combat boxed set as the foundation to construct an immersive, fun experience. A highlight of the new Core Box is the Sagas lore booklet. This brand-new primer opens the doors to the BattleTech universe with a series of gorgeous, all-new art pieces, but also guides players through choosing a faction, a style of play, and more. The eight high-quality, ready-to-play miniatures included in the box represent a cross-section of more than thirty years of beloved BattleTech lore. They include the Hollander and Rakshasa that first appeared in Technical Readout: 3055; the Solitaire from Technical Readout: 3067; the Uziel and Mad Cat Mk II that premiered in the MechWarrior 4: Vengeance computer game; the Vulture Mk IV Prime that first hit game tables as part of MechWarrior: Dark Age; and the Regent and Eris from the new ilClan Era Recognition Guides.

Core Rulebook 

Building on the critical and commercial success of the BattleMech Manual, a half-year of public playtesting brought forth the most cohesive, approachable, and dynamic set of rules for BattleTech ever: the new Core Rulebook. Thanks to the support of the Catalyst Demo Team Agents and the wider BattleTech community, the Core Rulebook also contains a comprehensive

Missions section: a shared, fundamental framework allowing players to easily create a huge variety of BattleTech games. This flexible toolbox allows for everything from quick pick-up games to epic clashes, and makes it easy for anyone—from the newest players to grizzled veterans—to build a force, choose a mission, grab some miniatures and start rolling dice!

Core Rules Changes

After six months, five playtest packets, and thousands of hours of playtesting, we’ve finalized the BattleTech Core Rules Changes document, which you can find here, alongside a review and reflection on this process from developer Keith Hann. We can’t thank our fabulous, worldwide community enough for their expertise, enthusiasm, and time as we developed this new rulebook and box sets. Thank you! 

As always, existing BattleTech mapsheets, Technical Readouts, and all models remain fully compatible with the new Core Rulebook. Additionally, of the thousands of ’Mech record sheet variants published over the past forty years, less than .05% required a small tweak (just those for units which have Watchdog CEWS or Bombast Lasers). Odds are that you’ll never see an existing record sheet that’s not fully compatible.

As usual, Catalyst is attending AdeptiCon 2026 in force! In addition to our plethora of games, we’ll have a diorama showing off the new BFM: Volcanic map, along with all of the new models found in the Starter Box and Core Box! We’ll also have samples of both boxes in our display cases, along with a complete sample of Aces: Snowblind, our next Alpha Strike cooperative campaign box, currently at the printers. Stop by the Grand Ballroom, snap photos, ask us questions and play some BattleTech! 

For those not attending, we’ll be livestreaming throughout the show. Be sure to catch our first segment, at 10 a.m. CST, where we’ll extensively cover the details of this announcement, answer questions, and more. Check out all of the excitement 

youtube.com/@catalyst-game-labs.

Leap into the Action! 

BattleTech remains one of the best-selling tabletop miniatures games in the hobby, with well over 10 million plastic miniatures sold in the last eight years. This refit and redeployment of the new Starter Box, Core Box, and Core Rulebook celebrates the seminal BattleTech universe, while making it easier than ever to leap into the action. Whether you’ve been here the whole time, you’re coming back to the game for the first time in decades, or picking it up for the very first time, fabulous, narrative-driven games await you on the battlefields of the Inner Sphere!

Traveller, the Most Influential Science Fiction RPG of All Time, is Coming to 5E

A landmark conversion brings nearly five decades of iconic science-fiction roleplaying to the world’s most popular tabletop system.

Traveller, first published in 1977, is officially being adapted in a new project led by veteran game designer Timothy Brown, in full coordination with Mongoose Publishing. The project aims to bring the depth, scope, and creative freedom of classic Traveller to a new generation of players.

Designed for groups interested in science-fiction storytelling using familiar tabletop mechanics, Traveller 5E preserves what made the original game legendary while making it accessible to a wider audience. The result is a complete science fiction roleplaying experience centered on interstellar travel, trade, jump space starships, and sector-level worldbuilding, allowing groups to create entire universes on their own.

“This 5E version introduces Traveller to an enormous new audience. Starships, strange worlds, exotic alien creatures … every aspect of the sci-fi classic is faithfully recreated using the new edition’s rules. Will the existing Imperium and all its sourcebooks be updated to the new rules? If there’s demand for that, then yes, of course, but the primary objective is to make a sandbox game that feeds the pent-up demand for whole new game universes. Equally exciting, we’re tracking some of our favorite sci-fi novels and series to license as whole new Traveller 5E settings … stay tuned!” – Timothy Brown

Traveller 5E supports a wide range of play styles and science-fiction themes, offering tools for:

? Iconic character creation

? Designing original worlds, sectors, and interstellar settings

? Building starships, vehicles, and alien creatures

? Campaign play focused on exploration, commerce, and discovery

The crowdfunding campaign for Traveller 5E will launch on March 31.

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About World’s Largest RPGs

World’s Largest RPGs is a tabletop roleplaying game publisher focused on bringing legendary games to modern audiences. The company works closely with creators and licensors to deliver excellent roleplaying experiences for players and game masters alike.

About Mongoose Publishing

Mongoose Publishing is a British manufacturer of roleplaying games, miniatures, and card games, publishing material since 2001. Its product lines include Traveller, Paranoia, 2300AD, and Shield Maidens.

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