Judging by the 2024 Player's Handbook, guns are going to be a bigger part of D&D going forward.
Publisher Wizards of the Coast showed off pages from the new core rulebooks in a press briefing earlier this June, and a lot was made about their accessibility. That carries over to a Target-style catalog of D&D items readers can purchase, including weapons… but it seems there's been a surprise addition to that lineup since the last edition. While the usual swords, daggers, and bows you'd expect take pride of place, guns (specifically muskets and flintlock pistols) also appear in the martial ranged weapons section. This is in direct contrast to previous versions of the Player's Handbook, where firearms were reserved for the Dungeon Master's Guide or campaign settings like Spelljammer.
