Dungeons & Dragons is getting its very own fan expo, and it’s going big. Wizards of the Coast has partnered with AEG Presents to bring a two-day D&D celebration to The O2 Arena in London on 21-22 August 2026, and if that line-up is anything to go by, this could be one of the most exciting tabletop events the UK has ever seen.

The Short Version

Friday 21 August kicks off at Indigo at The O2 with a live one-shot from High Rollers, the UK’s biggest actual play group who are currently celebrating their tenth anniversary. Then on Saturday 22 August, the main O2 Arena, yes, the full 20,000-capacity arena, hosts a live actual play spectacular featuring an absolute dream team of voice actors and D&D performers.

Tickets go on general sale Friday 6 March at 10am via dndfanexpo.com. There’s a presale for AEG Presents newsletter subscribers from 10am on Wednesday 4 March, and a venue presale through The O2 on Thursday 5 March at 10am.

That Cast Though

Right, let’s talk about who’s actually playing on that Saturday night. Jasmine Bhullar, known as ThatBronzeGirl, is running the game as Dungeon Master. If you know, you know. She’s the DM behind Dimension 20‘s Coffin Run, the creator of DesiQuest, and has written and performed for Critical Role and Acquisitions Incorporated. She’s one of the most versatile DMs working in actual play right now.

Sitting around the table? Four members of the Baldur’s Gate 3 cast: Neil Newbon (Astarion), Samantha Béart (Karlach), Devora Wilde (Lae’zel), and Theo Solomon (Wyll). That’s four of the six origin companions from one of the biggest RPGs ever made, all playing D&D together on stage. If you’ve ever wanted to see the people behind those characters improvise their way through a live campaign, this is your shot.

Rounding out the party are Anjali Bhimani (Symmetra in Overwatch, plus she’s a frequent presence on Critical Role and is actually part of the DesiQuest cast alongside Bhullar) and Jasper Cartwright, co-founder of the award-winning 3 Black Halflings podcast and a Dimension 20 alumnus through Rotating Heroes and Oaths & Empires.

High Rollers’ Big Anniversary Moment

High Rollers hit their tenth anniversary in January 2026, which makes this August show a continuation of what’s been a massive year for the group. DM Mark Hulmes and the crew, Kim Richards, Chris Trott, Katie Morrison, Rhiannon Gower, and Tom Hazell, have been running their current campaign, Altheya: The Dragon Empire, and are also in the middle of a Kickstarter for the Altheya campaign setting sourcebook.

The official expo site specifically says they’ll be bringing the world of Altheya to the Indigo stage, so expect a one-shot set in their homebrew world rather than an off-the-shelf adventure. For High Rollers fans, that’s a big deal.

What Else Is Happening?

Beyond the headline shows, both days will feature panels and Q&A sessions with creators and performers, gaming tables where you can actually sit down and play, traders from across the D&D ecosystem, and cosplay meetups. The organisers have promised more announcements before August, including meet-and-greet and photo op add-ons.

It’s worth noting that Friday’s High Rollers show requires a separate ticket from the main Saturday event, though VIP upgrades are available. Saturday’s main event ticket gets you access to all the daytime activities plus the evening arena show.

Easter Egg Watch

The cast list is absolutely stacked with Baldur’s Gate 3 connections, but there’s one notable absence: we’ve got Astarion, Karlach, Lae’zel, and Wyll represented, but no Shadowheart (Jennifer English) and no Gale (Tim Downie). The press release does say “more announcements to follow.” So it will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

And keep an eye on the staging. The press release mentions “bespoke staging designed to immerse fans directly into the campaign.” For a venue the size of The O2, that could mean some seriously ambitious set design. The production values could be something we’ve never seen from a live D&D event before.

Also: this is being billed as the “first ever official D&D fan expo.” The word “first” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. If this goes well, expect it to become an annual event, and potentially expand to other cities.

Why This Actually Matters

D&D being played live in the main O2 Arena is a genuine milestone for tabletop gaming in the UK. This isn’t a side room at a comic convention. This is the same venue that hosts Beyoncé and the NBA. The fact that an actual play show can headline that space says something real about where tabletop gaming sits in the culture right now.

Whether you’re a seasoned player who’s been rolling dice since the THAC0 days or you got into D&D because of Baldur’s Gate 3 or Stranger Things, this feels like the kind of event that’s worth paying attention to.

Tickets go on sale Friday 6 March at 10am. We’d suggest signing up for the AEG Presents presale if you want the best chance of getting in.

The first Minecraft drop of 2026 reshapes one of the most familiar parts of the game: baby mobs. Until now, they were simply shrunken versions of their adult counterparts with oversized heads. While iconic to Minecraft, the decision to finally address this makes a lot of sense. Baby mobs now have their own custom models, paired with new baby-specific sounds and adjusted bounding boxes.

• The full lineup includes:
• Cows (and Mooshrooms)
• Pigs
• Sheep
• Chickens
• Rabbits
• Ocelots
• Wolves
• Cats

On Bedrock Edition, every baby mob also gets its own spawn egg. Just like on Java, Bedrock players can now use spawn eggs on adult mobs to spawn babies. This gives players more control than ever, especially when building farms, zoos, or custom environments.

Then there are craftable name tags. Before this drop, name tags were locked behind chest loot RNG, making them annoying to stockpile. Villager trading later made them easier to obtain, but at the cost of emeralds. Now, they’re even simpler. One metal nugget and some paper is all it takes, with gold, iron, or copper all working as valid options.

It feels like Mojang is doubling down on Minecraft’s cozy, comforting identity. This is a stark contrast to more scary themed updates like The Deep Dark and The Garden Awakens. You can already try these features through snapshots and experimental toggles, and while there’s no official name or release date yet, there’s still room for more to be added. As the first drop of 2026, it sets a tone that’s cute and cuddly. Minecraft, a game that turns 17 years old this year, shows no signs of slowing down and continues to deliver meaningful updates year after year.

When you spawn into Vernearth, you’re immediately floating in space. Literally. Big planets hang in the distance, stars surround you on all sides, and you’re standing in a custom hub that feels more like a sci-fi movie than Minecraft. A floating flame guides you forward toward a fantastically designed hub that transports you to the server’s survival world. This isn’t your typical Minecraft server.

Dropping into this hub feels more like entering a metal concert than logging into a survival world. Custom models everywhere, LED-style screens that Minecraft desperately needs in vanilla, and a distinct lack of traditional tutorial hand-holding. You’re thrown into “Oblivion,” the main survival realm, spawning in a starting village every time you log on until you claim land.

Here’s where Vernearth gets interesting: the terrain generation is genuinely impressive. We’re talking custom biomes with hanging rock formations, colour-shifted water using what appears to be Biome Painter, and naturally generated concrete powder creating salt-flat aesthetics. One location featured layered cliffs that looked like something from an amplified world. You’ll find yourself stopping for screenshots constantly.

The custom mob reskins add character. Chameleons, deer, and rats roam the landscape alongside reskinned villagers and modified trees. These big trees just beg for the Vein Miner mod.

Now for some concerns. The repetitive login messages about claiming land can get annoying quickly. The coin system from daily streaks exists, but good luck figuring out where to spend them. We tried. The tutorial throws information at you but doesn’t explain core mechanics like how different worlds connect or what those war tokens actually do beyond “buy legendary weapons.”

With only six players online during our visit, performance was smooth, but the server holds over a thousand Discord members.

If you’re into modded Minecraft and want something that feels like a passion project from someone who clearly loves both Slipknot and blocky adventures, Vernearth is worth checking out.ne who clearly loves both Slipknot and blocky adventures, Vernearth is worth checking out. 

Server: Vernearth
Platform: Java Edition
Access: Free (server address available through Slipknot community channels)
Note: Family-friendly despite the metal aesthetic – NSFW content is prohibited