Ethan Crossfield 
Licensed tabletop games can give major fantasy franchises a way to stay active between major releases, and A Court of Thorns and Roses is about to test that approach. October 6, 2026, will bring A Court of Thorns and Roses: Fate and Favor, the first official board game set in Prythian. Its launch arrives before the next novels, making the date an important starting point for the franchise's next release cycle.
A Board Game Arrives Before the Next Novel
Fate and Favor is scheduled to launch three weeks before A Court of Splintered Harmony, the sixth mainline ACOTAR novel. Sarah J. Maas is set to release that book on October 27, followed by A Court of Forgotten Melody on January 12, 2027. The two novels begin a new narrative arc called The Valkyrie Cycle and continue the fantasy setting's next chapter.
That timing gives fans a new way to engage with Prythian while they wait for the first of those books. Rather than being another novel-related announcement, Fate and Favor is a playable product designed around the world, characters, and rivalries that readers already know.
What Fate and Favor Includes
The game supports one to seven players aged 14 and up. Participants take on the roles of High Lords and High Ladies competing for influence across Prythian's seven courts. Its central systems involve alliances, relationships, character and court abilities, and events that can change the position of the players during a match.
Players can also become fated mates, adding another relationship-driven element to the alliances and rivalries. Character Cards allow players to form alliances with figures from the ACOTAR universe, while Event Cards introduce complications. Fate Tokens and court-specific pieces connect the play experience to locations and themes from Prythian.
The announced contents include a game map, 41 Character Cards, 10 Event Cards, seven Player Boards, seven Score Movers, seven Fate Tokens, 112 Influence Tokens, three Dawn Court Gift Tokens, one Autumn Court Hunting Grounds Token, one Summer Court Blood Ruby Token, and an Instruction Manual.
Why October 6 Matters for the Franchise
Fate and Favor will launch for $24.99, with three editions planned. The lineup includes a Target Exclusive Edition and a Bookseller Variant with exclusive packaging. Pre-orders are available through retailers such as Target, giving fans an opportunity to secure the board game ahead of its release.
The date therefore serves as more than a standalone tabletop launch. It begins a short countdown toward Splintered Harmony and sits at the front of a sequence that also includes Forgotten Melody. Book 8 has already been confirmed, so the franchise has several future developments in view even as the immediate focus shifts to the board game and the next two novels.
Key points
- Fate and Favor launches on October 6, 2026, for $24.99.
- The board game supports one to seven players aged 14 and up.
- Splintered Harmony follows on October 27, with Forgotten Melody planned for January 12, 2027.
- The two upcoming novels begin the Valkyrie Cycle, a new arc in Prythian.
Confirmed ACOTAR release schedule
| Release | Date | Format or role |
|---|---|---|
| A Court of Thorns and Roses: Fate and Favor | October 6, 2026 | Official board game |
| A Court of Splintered Harmony | October 27, 2026 | Book 6 and start of the Valkyrie Cycle |
| A Court of Forgotten Melody | January 12, 2027 | Book 7 and continuation of the Valkyrie Cycle |
Expert View
The release pattern shows a franchise using different formats to maintain community attention between major story launches. Fate and Favor gives ACOTAR fans a social, replayable activity tied to Prythian, while the closely timed novels provide the primary narrative momentum. For the franchise, October 6 is effectively the opening move in a broader expansion of the world rather than an isolated board-game release.
