It’s official: Green Ronin is developing a fourth edition of their popular superhero roleplaying game, Mutants & Masterminds. The announcement came during the publisher’s weekly Mutants & Masterminds Monday podcast, where developer Steve Kenson confirmed the new edition is slated for a 2026 launch.
This is significant news for the d20-based RPG, which has been in its third edition since 2011. Fans won’t have to wait long to get a taste of the new rules, as a limited-print playtest version, dubbed the “Origin Edition,” will be available in the coming weeks. This early version will be for sale at Gen Con (booth 101) and on Green Ronin’s online store, with a PDF version also being made available. Green Ronin is actively seeking feedback on this playtest edition and is setting up a system to collect player input. More information is expected at the “Mutants and Mastermind’s Roadmap” panel at Gen Con.
Mutants & Masterminds is a stalwart of the superhero RPG scene, known for its highly customisable character creation and a focus on powers over traditional classes. The game eschews some of the more rigid mechanics of its d20 system origins, such as attacks of opportunity, in favour of a more fluid, action-oriented experience.
The upcoming fourth edition promises to refine the existing system rather than completely overhaul it. Kenson noted that there will be a “fair amount of backwards compatibility” with third edition material, as the core maths of the game remains largely the same.
Some of the key changes discussed for the new edition include:
- A return to six core ability scores, with Fighting and Dexterity being removed.
- A refined action economy that gives each character a reaction every round.
- A new “impress action” to unify social skills in combat.
- Revised systems for Impervious and Regeneration powers.
- Damage and afflictions will both be calculated as 10 + rank, a change from the 15 + rank for damage in the previous edition.
The default setting of Earth-Prime will continue in the new edition, with the first wave of releases to include a Heroes Handbook, a Mastermind’s Manual, and a book of villains that will serve as the first look at Earth-Prime in the context of the fourth edition rules. The final adventure path for the third edition will be Event Horizon, with the Vigilantes Handbook also being one of the last sourcebooks for the current edition.
For those interested in engaging with the playtest and the future of Mutants & Masterminds, the official hub for discussion and feedback will be the Atomic Think Tank forums. As a long-time fan of superhero RPGs, I’m certainly curious to see how these changes will shape the future of this iconic game.
