Label: CONFIRMEDLive tracker
SPIEL Essen 2026 New Movie Board Game and TV Game Tracker
SPIEL Essen 2026 runs 22 to 25 October. Asmodee has confirmed a Lord of the Rings zone, a Disney zone, a Netflix zone, and Star Wars games, making the show a good place to look for a new movie board game or TV game this autumn. Each listing has a label and source rating, checked on 15 October.
Eight halls, one list. I’m tracking every licensed game before the doors open.
What we know and what we don't know
What we know
- SPIEL Essen runs Thursday to Saturday, 22 to 24 October, from 10:00 to 19:00, and Sunday, 25 October, from 10:00 to 18:00, at Messe Essen (grade A: the official SPIEL Essen site).
- For the first time, the fair uses all eight halls. Organizers expect 81,200 square meters, 921 exhibitors from 53 countries, more than 1,500 new titles and up to 230,000 visitors (grade B: Spielwarenmesse, reposting the organizers’ press release).
- Asmodee will be in Halls 5 and 7, with nearly 200 gaming tables across eight themed zones, including Disney, The Lord of the Rings, Netflix and LEGO (grade A: Asmodee press release, 23 September 2026).
- The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict will be shown before its official release. Asmodee’s US listing gives 13 November 2026, 2 to 4 players, ages 14 and up and about 60 minutes (grade A for both the Essen showing and the listing).
- Fantasy Flight Games is bringing the Star Wars: Unlimited trading card game and Gamegenic accessories. Designers will attend meet-and-greet sessions (grade A: Asmodee press release).
- The Netflix zone features Dobble / Spot It! KPop Demon Hunters and KPop Demon Hunters: Battle for the Spotlight (grade A: Asmodee press release).
- Saturday tickets sold out on 2 October. Friday was 90 percent sold on 5 October, and Thursday reached 90 percent on 13 October. There are no on-site ticket booths (grade A: the official SPIEL Essen site).
What we don't know
- No announcement by 15 October mentioned Marvel, Dune, Harry Potter, Pokemon, Godzilla, Jurassic Park, Stranger Things, Star Trek, Alien or Batman games at the show. That doesn't prove they won't be there.
- Whether Dune: Imperium: Conspiracy will be shown or sold at Essen remains unclear. Screen Rant reports a release later in 2026 but says nothing about the fair.
- The exhibitor count is unclear. Spielwarenmesse reports 921, while Global Trade Fairs lists 948.
- A media day schedule for 2026. The official news page doesn’t mention one.
- Will the upcoming Duel for Middle-earth expansion and the unnamed Disney boosters be on sale at the fair? Asmodee lists them but gives no sales details.
Movie and TV games Asmodee has confirmed for the fair
The clearest signal so far is Asmodee’s 23 September 2026 press release, an official grade A source. It describes eight zones across Halls 5 and 7. Disney, Lord of the Rings, and Netflix have zones for licensed movie board games and TV games. Star Wars appears with Fantasy Flight Games and in the Momentum Zone. Our Lord of the Rings board games page lists licensed board games already out.
- Label: CONFIRMED
The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict
Shown in the Lord of the Rings Zone before its official release, the game credits designers Stephen Buonocore and Geoff Engelstein, with Office Dog behind it. Its US listing calls it a strategic dice game for 2 to 4 players and now gives 13 November 2026, replacing the 6 November date we listed this morning (grade A).
- Label: CONFIRMED
The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship
Listed in the same zone as The Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict.
- Label: CONFIRMED
Allies & Quest for Duel for Middle-earth
Named as an upcoming expansion for the two-player Duel for Middle-earth. The release doesn’t say if it will be playable or on sale at the fair.
- Label: CONFIRMED
Who Says? The Lord of the Rings and two trick-taking games
The zone also lists Who Says? The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game and The Two Towers Trick-Taking Game.
- Label: CONFIRMED
Star Wars: Unlimited
Fantasy Flight Games is bringing the trading card game to the fair, along with Gamegenic accessories. The release also promises designer meet-and-greets.
- Label: CONFIRMED
Star Wars: Legion
Named among the demo, challenge and signing titles in the Momentum Zone.
- Label: CONFIRMED
Disney Zone
Olaf Mix-Up, Stitch: The Fix for 626 and Dixit Disney Edition are listed, along with new Villains and Mystery and Adventure boosters. The release doesn’t name the parent game for those boosters.
- Label: CONFIRMED
Netflix Zone: KPop Demon Hunters
The zone’s game list includes Dobble / Spot It! KPop Demon Hunters and KPop Demon Hunters: Battle for the Spotlight.
Spotted, but not confirmed for Essen
As of 15 October, the sources we checked have no Essen announcements for Marvel, Dune, Harry Potter, Pokemon, Godzilla, Jurassic Park, Stranger Things, Star Trek, Alien or Batman. That doesn’t prove they’re absent, so this is still open. One game is close: Dune: Imperium gets a Conspiracy expansion later in 2026, but no source connects it to the fair.
- Label: SPOTTED
Dune: Imperium: Conspiracy
Screen Rant (grade B) says Dire Wolf will release this cross-compatible expansion for Dune: Imperium and Dune: Imperium Uprising later this year. It adds Conspiracy cards and an Overthrow Mode, where one player becomes the Emperor. None of the coverage we found mentions Essen.
How we’ll update this tracker
This post is the live hub for movie board games and TV games at the fair. From 22 to 25 October, we’ll add a dated log entry whenever something is confirmed, changed or debunked.
Sources
Each source has a grade. A is official, B is a proven reporter, C is community or listings, D is anonymous or mixed record.
- Source grade ASPIEL Essen official news page (dates, hours, ticket status) spiel-essen.de
The fair’s organizer. Checked 15 October 2026, again at 17:30.
- Source grade AAsmodee brings new games and exclusive releases to SPIEL Essen 2026 (press release, 23 September 2026) mfn.se
The publisher’s own release, distributed through MFN. Names the zones, titles and designers. It gives no release dates.
- Source grade AThe Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict (Asmodee US listing) store.asmodee.com
The publisher’s own store. Source of the 13 November 2026 release date, the player count and the age. It showed 6 November earlier on 15 October.
- Source grade BSPIEL Essen 2026 set to break multiple records (Spielwarenmesse) spielwarenmesse.de
A trade-fair news site that reposts the organizers’ press release. The page shows no publication date.
- Source grade BDune: Imperium: Conspiracy expansion (Screen Rant) screenrant.com
Entertainment press. Reports a release later in 2026 and the Overthrow Mode. No mention of Essen.