Editing Forgotten Realms (section)

== Publication history ==
=== 1985–1990 ===
In 1985, the ''AD&D'' [[Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)|module]] ''[[Bloodstone Pass]]'' was released by TSR and is retroactively considered to be a part of the Forgotten Realms,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showbook&bookid=2040 |title=Bloodstone Pass at Pen&Paper |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207064248/http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showbook&bookid=2040|archive-date=December 7, 2008}} Listing at the Pen & Paper RPG Database, listing the module as part of the Forgotten Realms game line. Retrieved on November 30, 2008.</ref> although it was not until the module ''[[The Bloodstone Wars]]'' was released that it became the official setting for the module series.<ref>[http://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=3808 H1: Bloodstone Pass] at RPGnet. Retrieved on November 30, 2008.</ref> [[Douglas Niles]] had worked on a novel trilogy with a Celtic theme, which were then altered to become the first novels set in the Forgotten Realms, starting with ''[[Darkwalker on Moonshae]]'' (1987).<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|73}} It is the first book in ''[[The Moonshae Trilogy]]'', which predates the ''[[Forgotten Realms Campaign Set]]'' by one month.<ref name="Running the Realms">{{cite book|title= Running the Realms|last1= Greenwood|first1= Ed|author-link1= Ed Greenwood|first2=Jeff|last2=Grubb|author-link2=Jeff Grubb|year= 1993|publisher= [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]]|pages= 4–5}}</ref>

The ''Forgotten Realms Campaign Set'' was later released in 1987<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Carbonell|first=Curtis D.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1129971339|title=Dread Trident: Tabletop Role-Playing Games and the Modern Fantastic|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2019|isbn=978-1-78962-468-7|location=Liverpool|pages=80–108|chapter=Chapter 3: Dungeons and Dragons Multiverse|oclc=1129971339}}</ref> as a boxed set of two source books (''Cyclopedia of the Realms'' and ''DM's Sourcebook of the Realms'') and four large color maps, designed by Greenwood in collaboration with Grubb.<ref name="HW">{{cite book|last=Schick |first=Lawrence|title=Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games|publisher=Prometheus Books |year=1991|isbn=0-87975-653-5}}</ref>{{rp|99}} It sold ''ca.'' one hundred fifty thousand times in its first two years.<ref name=AA>{{cite book |title=Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: a visual history |last1=Witwer |first1=Michael |last2=Newman |first2=Kyle |last3=Peterson |first3=Jonathan |last4=Witwer |first4=Sam |last5=Manganiello |first5=Joe |date=October 2018 |isbn=9780399580949 |publisher=[[Ten Speed Press]] |oclc=1033548473 |page=200}}</ref> The set introduced the campaign setting and explained how to use it,<ref name="HW"/>{{rp|99}} and reserved space on the map for [[Strategic Simulations, Inc.|SSI]]'s [[Gold Box]] [[computer role-playing game]]s set in the Forgotten Realms.<ref name="maher20160318">{{cite web | url=http://www.filfre.net/2016/03/opening-the-gold-box-part-3-from-tabletop-to-desktop/ | title=Opening the Gold Box, Part 3: From Tabletop to Desktop | publisher=The Digital Antiquarian | date=2016-03-18 | access-date=19 March 2016 | author=Maher, Jimmy}}</ref>

TSR began incorporating elements by other designers into the Forgotten Realms, including the Moonshae Isles by [[Douglas Niles]], the "Desert of Desolation" by [[Tracy Hickman]] and [[Laura Hickman]], and [[Kara-Tur]] by [[Zeb Cook]].<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|73}} The setting also provided a new way for TSR to market its ''[[Battlesystem]]'' rules, which it had supported with the Bloodstone adventure sequence which started with ''Bloodstone Pass''; the last two adventures in the series, ''The Bloodstone Wars'' (1987) and ''[[The Throne of Bloodstone]]'' (1988), were unambiguously set in the Forgotten Realms.<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|74}} Some characters from ''[[Egg of the Phoenix]]'' (1987) by [[Frank Mentzer]] were incorporated into ''[[The Savage Frontier]]'' (1988).<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|40}}

The compilation module ''[[Desert of Desolation]]'' reworked the previous adventures to fit as part of the Forgotten Realms.<ref name="WD93">{{cite journal | last =Bambra | first =Jim | title =Open Box | journal =[[White Dwarf (magazine)|White Dwarf]] | issue = 93 | page =4 |date=September 1987}}</ref> The module ''[[Under Illefarn]]'' published in 1987 is set in the Forgotten Realms,<ref name="HW"/>{{rp|108}} as is the module released in 1988, ''[[Swords of the Iron Legion]]''.<ref name="HW"/>{{rp|103}}

[[R. A. Salvatore]] wrote his first novel for the Forgotten Realms, ''[[The Crystal Shard]]'' (1988), which was originally set in the Moonshae Islands before being moved to a new location and introduced the [[drow]] character [[Drizzt Do'Urden]].<ref name="designers70s" />{{rp|73}}<ref>{{cite book |title= To Be Continued: An Annotated Guide to Sequels|last1= Jacob|first1= Merle|first2=Hope |last2=Apple |year= 2000|publisher= [[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn= 978-1-57356-155-6}}</ref> Drizzt has since appeared in more than seventeen subsequent novels, many of which have appeared on the [[New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller list]].<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.rasalvatore.com/biography.aspx?selection=3 | title =Biography of R. A. Salvatore | access-date = 2006-03-03}}</ref> In 1988, the first in a line of Forgotten Realms role-playing video games, ''[[Pool of Radiance]]'', was released by [[Strategic Simulations, Inc]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Frum|first=Larry|date=May 19, 2014|title=40 years later, 'Dungeons & Dragons' still inspiring gamers|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/19/tech/gaming-gadgets/dungeons-and-dragons-5th-edition/index.html|access-date=2020-06-30|website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> The game was popular and won the [[Origins Award]] for "Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Computer Game of 1988".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1988|title= 1988 List of Winners|access-date=9 December 2008 |publisher= Academy of Adventure Gaming, Arts & Design |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080507063608/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1988 |archive-date = May 7, 2008}}</ref>

Several supplements to the original boxed set were released under the first edition rules, beginning with ''[[Waterdeep and the North]]'',<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|73}} which was followed by ''[[Moonshae]]'' in 1987, and ''[[Empires of the Sands]]'', ''[[The Magister]]'', ''[[The Savage Frontier]]'', ''[[Dreams of the Red Wizards]]'', and ''[[Lords of Darkness#Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition|Lords of Darkness]]'' in 1988.<ref name="HW"/>{{rp|96–97}} The ''[[City System]]'' boxed set was released in 1988, and it contained several maps of the city of Waterdeep.<ref name="HW"/>{{rp|89}} ''[[Ruins of Adventure]]'', a module based on the computer game ''[[Pool of Radiance]]'', was also released in 1988.<ref name="HW"/>{{rp|113}}

The boxed set ''[[Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms]]'' was released in 1988. It gives details of the lands of [[Kara-Tur]], and was designed to be used with the 1986 book ''[[Oriental Adventures#Advanced Dungeons & Dragons|Oriental Adventures]]'', which officially placed the book in the Forgotten Realms world.<ref name="HW"/>{{rp|103}}

In 1989, [[DC Comics]] began publishing a series of [[Forgotten Realms (comic)|Forgotten Realms comics]] written by Grubb.<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|75}} Each issue contains twenty-six pages, illustrated primarily by [[Rags Morales]] and [[Dave Simons]]. Twenty-five issues were published in total, with the last being released in 1991. A fifty-six page [[Annual publication|annual]] ''Forgotten Realms Comic Annual #1: Waterdhavian Nights'', illustrated by various artists, was released in 1990.

[[Curse of the Azure Bonds (module)|''Curse of the Azure Bonds'']], a module based on the role-playing video game [[Curse of the Azure Bonds|of the same name]], was released in 1989.<ref name="HW"/>{{rp|97}}

=== 1990–2000 ===
{{Timeline of release years
|title= Forgotten Realms video games
|1988 = ''[[Pool of Radiance]]''
|1989a = ''[[Hillsfar]]''
|1989b = ''[[Curse of the Azure Bonds]]''
|1990a = ''[[Secret of the Silver Blades]]''
|1990b = ''[[Eye of the Beholder (video game)|Eye of the Beholder]]''
|1991a = ''[[Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon]]''
|1991b = ''[[Pools of Darkness]]''
|1991c = ''[[Neverwinter Nights (MMORPG)|Neverwinter Nights]]''
|1991d = ''[[Gateway to the Savage Frontier]]''
|1992 = ''[[Treasures of the Savage Frontier]]''
|1993a = ''[[Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures]]''
|1993b = ''[[Dungeon Hack]]''
|1993c = ''[[Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor]]''
|1994 = ''[[Menzoberranzan (video game)|Menzoberranzan]]''
|1996 = ''[[Blood & Magic]]''
|1997 = ''[[Descent to Undermountain]]''
|1998 = ''[[Baldur's Gate (video game)|Baldur's Gate]]''
|2000a = ''[[Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn]]''
|2000b = ''[[Icewind Dale]]''
|2001a = ''[[Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance]]''
|2001b = ''[[Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor]]''
|2002a = ''[[Icewind Dale II]]''
|2002b = ''[[Neverwinter Nights (2002 video game)|Neverwinter Nights]]''
|2002c = ''[[Eye of the Beholder (2002 video game)|Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder]]''
|2004a = ''[[Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II]]''
|2005b = ''[[Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone]]''
|2006 = ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2]]''
|2011a = ''[[Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale]]''
|2011b = ''Heroes of Neverwinter''
|2013 = ''[[Neverwinter (video game)|Neverwinter]]''
|2014 = ''[[Lords of Waterdeep (video game)|Lords of Waterdeep]]''
|2015 = ''[[Sword Coast Legends]]''
|2017 = ''Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation''
|2018 = ''[[Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms]]''
|2019 = ''Warriors of Waterdeep''
|2021 = ''[[Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance]]''
|2023 = ''[[Baldur's Gate III]]''
}}

To transition the Forgotten Realms from first edition ''AD&D'' to the ruleset's second edition, a story involving the gods being cast down was planned by TSR management from the top-down and started with ''[[Hall of Heroes (Forgotten Realms)|Hall of Heroes]]'' (1989) and continued with a three-adventure ''[[The Avatar Series|Avatar]]'' series (1989) and a three-novel ''[[The Avatar Series|Avatar]]'' series (1989), and some stories in the comic book.<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|84}} TSR adjusted the timeline of the Forgotten Realms by advancing the calendar one year forward to 1358 DR, referring to the gap as the Time of Troubles.<ref name=":5" />

In early 1990, the hardcover ''[[Forgotten Realms Adventures]]'' by Grubb and Greenwood was released, which introduced the setting to ''AD&D'' 2nd edition;<ref name="HW"/>{{rp|99–100}} the book also detailed how the Time of Troubles had changed the setting.<ref name="APC">{{cite thesis |last=Canavan |first=Aidan-Paul |date=April 2011 |title=Looting the Dungeon: The Quest for the Genre Fantasy Mega-Text |type=PhD |url=http://fantasyliterature.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/99772099/looting%20the%20dungeon%20-%20canavan.pdf}}</ref>{{rp|139}} ''[[The Ruins of Undermountain]]'' (1991) was one of the first published mega-dungeons.<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|93}} The [[Al-Qadim]] setting by Jeff Grubb was released in 1992, and the setting was added to the southern part of the Forgotten Realms.<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|95}} In July 1990, the [[RPGA]] Network's ''[[Polyhedron (magazine)|Polyhedron Newszine]]'' began publishing a monthly column by Greenwood entitled "The Everwinking Eye" detailing various locations and personalities in the Realms. The Network used the Forgotten Realms city of [[Ravens Bluff]] as the setting for their first [[Living campaigns|living campaign]].<ref name="designers70s"/>{{rp|93}} Official RPGA support for this product line included the ''Living City'' module series. A number of sub-settings of the Forgotten Realms were briefly supported in the early 1990s. Three more modules were produced for the [[Kara-Tur]] setting. [[The Horde (boxed set)|''The Horde'' boxed set]], released in 1990, detailed the Hordelands, which featured a series of three modules. The ''[[Maztica Campaign Set]]'', released in 1991, detailed the continent of [[Maztica]].

The original gray boxed set was revised in 1993 to update it to ''AD&D'' 2nd edition, with the release of a new ''Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting'' boxed set containing three books (''A Grand Tour of the Realms'', ''Running the Realms'', and ''Shadowdale'') and various "monster supplements".<ref name="FRCS2">{{cite book | last1=Greenwood | first1=Ed | author-link1=Ed Greenwood | first2= Don | last2= Bingle | year=1993 | title=Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting | publisher=[[TSR, Inc.]] | isbn=978-1-56076-617-9 | author-link2=Don Bingle}}</ref> Additional material for the setting was released steadily throughout the 1990s. Forgotten Realms novels, such as the ''[[Legacy of the Drow]]'' series, the first three books of ''[[The Elminster Series]]'', and numerous [[anthologies]] were also released throughout the 1990s, which led to the setting being hailed as one of the most successful shared fantasy universes of the 1990s.<ref>{{cite book | last=Oxobyn| first=Marc | year=2003 | title=The 1990s | publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] | isbn=978-0-313-31615-9 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/1990s0000oxob}}</ref> By the first quarter of 1996, TSR had published sixty-four novels set in the Forgotten Realms out of the 242 novels set in ''AD&D'' worlds.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Mackay|first=Daniel|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/45575501|title=The Fantasy Role-Playing Game: A New Performing Art|publisher=McFarland & Co|year=2001|isbn=0-7864-0815-4|location=Jefferson, N.C.|oclc=45575501}}</ref>{{rp|20}} These novels in turn sparked interest in role-playing by new gamers.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Punday | first=Daniel | year=2005 | title=Creative Accounting; Role-playing Games, Possible-World Theory, and the Agency of the Imagination | journal=Poetics Today | volume=26 | issue=1 | pages=113–139 | doi=10.1215/03335372-26-1-113 | citeseerx=10.1.1.118.7964 | issn=0333-5372 }}</ref>

Numerous Forgotten Realms [[video game]]s were released between 1990 and 2000. ''[[Eye of the Beholder (computer game)|Eye of the Beholder]]'' for [[MS-DOS]] was released in 1990,<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/eyeofthebeholder/index.html?tag=result;title;0 Eye of the Beholder for MS-DOS]. Gamespot. Retrieved on December 1, 2008.</ref> which was followed by two sequels: the first in 1991,<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/eyeofthebeholder2tlod/index.html?tag=result;title;6 Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon]. Gamespot. Retrieved on December 1, 2008.  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208115021/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/eyeofthebeholder2tlod/index.html?tag=result%3Btitle%3B6 |date=December 8, 2008}}</ref> and the second in 1992.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/eyeofthebeholder3aomd/index.html?tag=result;title;8 Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor]. Gamespot. Retrieved on December 1, 2008.  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207172045/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/eyeofthebeholder3aomd/index.html?tag=result%3Btitle%3B8 |date=December 7, 2008}}</ref> All three games were re-released for MS-DOS compatible operating systems on a single disk in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/eye-of-the-beholder-trilogy |title=Eye of the Beholder Trilogy for DOS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228200225/http://www.mobygames.com/game/eye-of-the-beholder-trilogy |archive-date=December 28, 2008 |publisher=Mobygames}}</ref> Another 1991 release was ''[[Neverwinter Nights (AOL game)|Neverwinter Nights]]'' on [[AOL|America Online]], the first graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game ([[MMORPG]]).<ref>[http://www.mcvuk.com/press-releases/34298/Stormfront-Studios-Honored-At-59th-Annual-Emmy-Technology-Awards-For-Creating-First-Graphical-Online-Role-Playing-Game Stormfront Studios Honored at 59th Annual Emmy Technology Awards For Creating First Graphical Online Role-Playing Game] Mcuvk. Retrieved on December 1, 2008.</ref> In 1998, ''[[Baldur's Gate (video game)|Baldur's Gate]]'', the first in a line of popular role-playing video games<ref>{{cite news | first=Aaron | last=Curtis | title=Gamers' Corner; Visiting Worlds You Won't Want to Leave | date=1999-04-19 | url =http://www.latimes.com/ | work =[[The Los Angeles Times]] | page =C4 | access-date = 2008-12-04}}</ref> developed by [[BioWare]] and "considered by most pundits as the hands-down best PC roleplaying game ever", was released.<ref name="FRGB"/> The game was followed by a sequel, ''[[Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn]]'', in 2000 and ''[[Icewind Dale (series)|Icewind Dale]]'', a separate game that utilized the same [[game engine]] as ''Baldur's Gate''. ''[[Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor]]'' was released in 2001. Several popular Forgotten Realms characters such as [[Drizzt Do'Urden]] and [[Elminster]] made minor appearances in these games.

=== 2000–2008 ===
When [[Wizards of the Coast]] took over publication of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' after purchasing TSR in 1997, they trimmed production down from six campaign settings to ''Forgotten Realms'' and ''Dragonlance'', and completed ''AD&D'' 2nd edition production sometime between 1998 and 1999.<ref name="designers90s"/>{{rp|146}} They later hired [[Rob Heinsoo]] to be part of the D&D Worlds team and focus on Forgotten Realms in the [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition|third edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons'']].<ref name="designers90s">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons: The '90s|publisher=[[Evil Hat Productions]]|year=2014| isbn=978-1-61317-084-7}}</ref>{{rp|162}} An official material update and a timeline advance were introduced to the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition in 2001 with the release of the hardcover book the ''[[Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting#3rd edition|Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting]]'',<ref name="FRCS3rd" /> which won the [[Origins Award]] for ''Best Role-Playing Game Supplement of 2001'' in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2001|title= 2001 List of Winners|access-date=9 December 2008 |publisher= Academy of Adventure Gaming, Arts & Design |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080617094510/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2001 |archive-date = June 17, 2008}}</ref> The timeline was officially advanced from 1358 DR to 1372 DR.<ref name=":5" /> The adventure ''[[City of the Spider Queen]]'' (2002) did not meet its projected sales targets, so Wizards of the Coast cut back on production of new adventures.<ref name="designers90s"/>{{rp|165}}

In 2002, BioWare released ''[[Neverwinter Nights (2002 video game)|Neverwinter Nights]]'', set in the northern reaches of [[Faerûn]] and operating on the revised 3.0 rules for D&D. It was followed by two [[expansion pack]]s: ''[[Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide|Shadows of Undrentide]]'' and ''[[Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark|Hordes of the Underdark]]''. A [[Neverwinter Nights 2|sequel]] using version 3.5 of the rules was produced by [[Obsidian Entertainment]] in 2006, and was followed by the expansion sets ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer|Mask of the Betrayer]]'' and ''[[Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir|Storm of Zehir]]''. The ''Forgotten Realms Deluxe Edition'' compilation was released in 2006, containing the ''Baldur's Gate'' series (excluding the ''Dark Alliance'' games), ''Icewind Dale'' series, and all ''Neverwinter Nights'' games before ''Neverwinter Nights 2''.

=== 2008–2014 ===
With the release of [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition|''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition]] in 2008, Wizards opted for a publishing plan featuring a series of six books per year – consisting of three core rulebooks as well as three setting books – beginning with the Forgotten Realms. The company started the cycle with the ''[[Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide]]'' (2008), the ''[[Forgotten Realms Player's Guide]]'' (2008), and ''[[Scepter Tower of Spellgard]]''.<ref name="designers90s"/>{{rp|190}} These books updated the Forgotten Realms to the newest rules system which altered the setting drastically to make it fit with the 4th edition concept of "Points of Light".<ref name="designers90s" />{{rp|190}}

The main lore change centered around an event called the Spellplague in 1385 DR.<ref name=":5" /> This cataclysm was unleashed when the goddess of magic Mystra was killed, "transforming whole nations and altering creatures. In addition, parts of Toril have fused with its long-lost twin world Abeir, whisking away some countries and adding new ones. The Underdark is more open to the surface. Thay has become a nightmare land of death and the Elves, sensing the newfound connection to the Feywild, have returned to Faerûn in force".<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Baichtal|first=John|date=2008-12-01|title=Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide Chronicles the World's Epic Changes|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/12/forgotten-realm/|access-date=2020-06-30|issn=1059-1028}}</ref> The event moved the fictional world's timeline 94 years into the future to 1479 DR.<ref name=":5" /> The Spellplague acted as "a narrative justification for design changes".<ref name=":5" />{{rp|107}}

In 2008, the Forgotten Realms also became the setting for the RPGA's sole living campaign, [[Living Forgotten Realms]], replacing [[Living Greyhawk]].

In 2011, the ''[[Neverwinter Campaign Setting]]'' was released which launched the 4th edition's first major multimedia release. The Forgotten Realms city setting spawned four novels by R. A. Salvatore called the [[Neverwinter Saga]], a comic book, and a board game called ''The Legend of Drizzt'', as well as two video games – the [[Facebook]] game ''Heroes of Neverwinter'' (2011–2012) and a [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|MMORPG]] called [[Neverwinter (video game)|''Neverwinter'']] (2013).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Appelcline|first=Shannon|title=Neverwinter Campaign Setting (4e) {{!}} Product History|url=https://www.dmsguild.com/product/163174/Neverwinter-Campaign-Setting-4e|access-date=2019-08-02|website=DMs Guild|language=en}}</ref> Laura Tommervik, from the [[Wizards of the Coast]] marketing team, explained the approach: "We use Neverwinter as the connective tissue across multiple product categories. The transmedia campaign is an opportunity for fans to experience the brand however they choose to".<ref name=":1" />

In 2013, Wizards of the Coast announced a year-long event called the [[The Sundering|Sundering]] which acted as a multimedia project to transition the Forgotten Realms to the next edition of the game.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Ohannessian|first=Kevin|title=Wizards Focuses On Forgotten Realms With 'The Sundering' Event|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2629895/dungeons-and-dragons-forgotten-realms-the-sundering/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630185903/http://www.mtv.com/news/2629895/dungeons-and-dragons-forgotten-realms-the-sundering/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 30, 2020|access-date=2020-06-30|website=MTV News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Campbell|first=Colin|date=2013-08-06|title=Mobile game launches D&D Forgotten Realms event|url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/8/6/4594832/mobile-game-launches-d-d-forgotten-realms-event|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Polygon|language=en}}</ref> This release included a weekly [[RPGA#4th Edition|D&D Encounters]] in-store play event, a [[free-to-play]] mobile game ''Arena of War'' (2013), and a collaborative novel series: ''The Companions'' (2013) by R. A. Salvatore, ''The Godborn'' (2013) by [[Paul S. Kemp]], ''The Adversary'' (2013) by [[Erin M. Evans|Erin Evans]], ''The Reaver'' (2014) by [[Richard Lee Byers]], ''The Sentinel'' (2014) by [[Troy Denning]], and ''The Herald'' (2014) by Ed Greenwood.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-04-29|title=Erin M Evans interview: Forgotten Realms, The Sundering, D&D|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/books/erin-m-evans-interview-forgotten-realms-the-sundering-dd-2/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Den of Geek|language=en-US}}</ref> Liz Schuh, Head of Publishing and Licensing for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', said:<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 6, 2013|title=Exclusive Interview on D&D: The Sundering, Part 1|url=https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/26417/exclusive-interview-d-d-the-sundering-part-1|access-date=2020-06-30|website=[[ICv2]]|language=en}}</ref><blockquote>The Sundering is the last of a series of ground-shaking events. It really affects the whole world of the Forgotten Realms in a major way. You may remember when the Spell Plagues began, the two worlds of the Forgotten Realms, Abeir and Toril, crashed together. That created both geographic changes (the map of the Forgotten Realms and Faerûn actually changed due to that collision), and also changed the way magic works. It changed the pantheon of the gods. The Sundering is all about those two worlds separating—coming apart—and the process of that separation is really the story that we're telling over the next year. At the end of this story arc, Abeir and Toril will be separate again, and many of the things that happened when they crashed together will go back to the way they were before. So magic will be much like it was before the Spell Plague. Markings that marked spell-plagued people and animals will fade and go away. It's really about moving the Forgotten Realms forward, but also about bringing it around to the most beloved and most fondly remembered Forgotten Realms.</blockquote> The result of The Second Sundering, in game terms, was the transition from 4th edition rules to [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition|5th edition]] rules of ''Dungeons & Dragons'', published in 2014.<ref name=":5" /><ref name="io9">{{cite web|author=Grabianowski, Ed|date=August 29, 2012|title=What's Coming Next for Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms|url=http://io9.com/5938988/whats-coming-next-for-dungeons--dragons-and-forgotten-realms|access-date=September 14, 2012|work=[[io9]]|archive-date=August 31, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831214049/http://io9.com/5938988/whats-coming-next-for-dungeons--dragons-and-forgotten-realms|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== 2014–present ===
When ''D&D'' 5th edition was published in 2014, [[Wizards of the Coast]] announced that the Forgotten Realms would continue to serve as the official campaign setting for its upcoming published adventure materials.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bolding|first=Jonathan|date=16 April 2014|title=New Dungeons & Dragons Next and Tyranny of Dragons Details Emerge {{!}} PAX East 2014|url=https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/conferences/paxeast2014/11308-New-Dungeons-Dragons-Next-and-Tyranny-of-Dragons-Details-Emerge|access-date=2020-06-30|website=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|language=en|archive-date=2020-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702231906/https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/conferences/paxeast2014/11308-New-Dungeons-Dragons-Next-and-Tyranny-of-Dragons-Details-Emerge|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Molina|first=Brett|date=January 24, 2014|title=Details of next 'Dungeons & Dragons' revealed|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2014/01/23/dungeons-dragons-anniversary/4713259/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ewalt|first=David M.|date=April 15, 2015|title=What's Next For The New Dungeons & Dragons? {{!}} Interview with Nathan Stewart|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2015/04/15/new-dungeons-dragons-fifth-edition/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref> The village of Phandalin in the Forgotten Realms acted as the primary setting for the new [[Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set#Starter Set|5th edition ''Starter Set'']] (2014) which was published before the release of three new core rulebooks.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-07-03|title=Dungeons & Dragons Expands Its Line with Three New Releases|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/dungeons-dragons/dungeons-and-dragons-next/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|language=en}}</ref> "Tyranny of Dragons" was the first multimedia storyline for the new edition and included two adventure modules, ''[[Hoard of the Dragon Queen]]'' (2014) and ''[[The Rise of Tiamat]]'' (2014), and an update to the ''Neverwinter'' (2013) video game.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bolding|first=Jonathan|date=22 May 2014|title=Talking Dungeons & Dragons: Tyranny of Dragons Adventures With the Designers|url=https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/tabletop/11495-Talking-Dungeons-Dragons-Tyranny-of-Dragons-Adventures-With-the-|access-date=2020-06-30|website=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|language=en|archive-date=2020-07-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703004735/https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/tabletop/11495-Talking-Dungeons-Dragons-Tyranny-of-Dragons-Adventures-With-the-|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Tach|first=Dave|date=2014-05-19|title=Neverwinter's Tyranny of Dragons expansion arrives Aug. 14|url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/5/19/5732268/neverwinter-tyranny-of-dragons-release-date|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Polygon|language=en}}</ref> The next two storylines, "Elemental Evil" which included ''[[Princes of the Apocalypse]]'' (2015) and "Rage of Demons" which included ''[[Out of the Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons)|Out of the Abyss]]'' (2015), were also set in the Forgotten Realms.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bolding|first=Jonathan|date=20 January 2015|title=Dungeons & Dragons Announces Elemental Evil as Next Storyline, Gives Release Dates|url=https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/139537-Dungeons-Dragons-Announces-Elemental-Evil-as-Next-Storyline-Gives-Release-Dates|access-date=2020-06-30|website=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|language=en|archive-date=2020-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630221255/https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/139537-Dungeons-Dragons-Announces-Elemental-Evil-as-Next-Storyline-Gives-Release-Dates|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="CH">{{Cite web|last=Hall|first=Charlie|date=2015-09-02|title=Out of the Abyss: D&D's next campaign goes deep into the Underdark|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2015/9/2/9242155/out-of-the-abyss-into-the-underdark|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Polygon|language=en}}</ref>

The first campaign guide for the new edition, the ''[[Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide]]'' (2015), was released on November 3, 2015, and only covered a fraction of the Forgotten Realms.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Lucard|first=Alex|date=November 9, 2015|title=Tabletop Review: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition)|url=http://diehardgamefan.com/2015/11/09/tabletop-review-sword-coast-adventurers-guide-dungeons-dragons-fifth-edition/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113025447/http://diehardgamefan.com/2015/11/09/tabletop-review-sword-coast-adventurers-guide-dungeons-dragons-fifth-edition/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 13, 2015|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Diehard GameFAN|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> It describes the 2013 Sundering event, referred to as the Second Sundering in the book, and its consequences in game terms and lore.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/915488960|title=Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide|others=Wizards of the Coast, Inc.|year=2015|isbn=978-0-7869-6580-9|location=Renton, WA|pages=16–18|oclc=915488960}}</ref> The video game ''[[Sword Coast Legends]]'' (2015) published by [[Digital Extremes]] was also released in the same month as the tabletop campaign guide.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Nelson|first=Samantha|date=November 10, 2015|title=Sword Coast Legends has Dungeons & Dragons' flavor but not its creativity|url=https://www.avclub.com/sword-coast-legends-has-dungeons-dragons-flavor-but-1798185892|access-date=2020-06-30|website=AV Club|language=en-us|archive-date=2020-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701074512/https://games.avclub.com/sword-coast-legends-has-dungeons-dragons-flavor-but-1798185892|url-status=live}}</ref>

5th edition details on "the rest of Faerûn had been untouched until the ''[[Tomb of Annihilation]]'' (2017), an adventure that leaves the northern Sword Coast for the southern jungles of Chult".<ref name=":5" />{{rp|101}} The official ''Dungeons & Dragons'' [[actual play]] web series ''[[Rivals of Waterdeep]]'', which premiered in 2018, is set in the Forgotten Realms. It has adapted adventure modules such as ''[[Waterdeep: Dragon Heist]]'' (2018), ''[[Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus|Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus]]'' (2019) and ''[[Candlekeep Mysteries]]'' (2021) which are also set in the Forgotten Realms.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |date=September 19, 2018 |title=There's No Better Time to Catch Up on RIVALS OF WATERDEEP |url=https://nerdist.com/article/theres-no-better-time-to-catch-up-on-rivals-of-waterdeep/ |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=Geek & Sundry |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2020 |title=Rivals of Waterdeep is Dungeons & Dragons' Flagship Show |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/dungeons-dragons-rivals-waterdeep-show/ |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=[[ComicBook.com]] |language=en}}</ref>