Next Dungeon Crawler Carl Book Officially Releases This Year (But It's Not Book 9)

Published Oct 17, 2026, 3:30 AM EDT

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. 

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Dungeon Crawler Carl fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, and as the series becomes more and more popular, it may be a good thing author Matt Dinniman's highly anticipated Book 9 is still a ways off. Many newcomers to the series are just now getting caught up on Carl and Donut's adventures into the World Dungeon, and they're likely going to take full advantage of that extra time to power through all eight books ahead of the epic two-volume conclusion.

With the new television series and Renegade's tabletop RPG and Unstoppable deck-building game on the way, as well as the recent released Vol. 2 of the graphic novel, there's plenty to keep all the Donut Holes and Dirty Little Piggies out there busy for the time being. However, fans will need to make room on their DCC wishlists for yet another major release coming out before the end of the year, dropping just in time for the holiday season on November 17, 2026.

New Dungeon Crawler Carl Book Officially Drops November 17

The first book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman is getting a fancy-pants Deluxe edition on November 17, and it features some incredible and unique bonuses that hardcore fans will not want to miss out on. While the core text itself is the same, the book comes with a brand-new hardcover designed by Victo Ngai, whose artwork is absolutely breathtaking and well worth a gander.

Aside from the beautiful new cover, the Deluxe Edition also includes a hardcover case with an actual maze you can solve yourself, not to mention beautiful interior stylings and stenciled edges. The full list of features is as follows:

• A stunning cover and artwork by acclaimed artist Victo Ngai
• Decorated endpapers
• A fully illustrated hardcover case featuring a solvable maze
• Illustrations on the inside of the jacket
• Stenciled edges
• A 4-color printed ribbon marker featuring Carl and Donut on the run
• A Q&A with author Matt Dinniman, conducted by GC, BWR, NW Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk herself

While the artwork and stenciling/decoration for the Deluxe book are enough to get fans excited already, probably the most interesting aspect is the additional Q&A content, which will feature a truly one-of-a-kind back and forth between Princess Donut and the author and could answer some lingering questions among readers that have been on their minds since the first book released.

You can pre-order the Dungeon Crawler Carl: Deluxe Edition on Amazon here.

The Deluxe Edition hardcover is currently available for roughly $55 to $65 depending on where you pre-order, with a slight discount at sites like Books-A-Million, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, with prices as low as $45 at stores like Walmart and Target, though stock may be limited.

The new edition also comes just in time for the holiday season and will make an excellent gift for longtime fans and newcomers you may think are interested in trying out the series for the first time. If you're new to the franchise, Dungeon Crawler Carl currently includes eight different books in Matt Dinniman's truly original LitRPG series, with a final two-part finale currently titled The Beautiful Place planned for the near future, making this the perfect time to dive in and see what the World Dungeon is all about.

Dungeon Crawler Carl