Carl and Princess Donut are heading toward the end of their run through the World Dungeon, and author Matt Dinniman is already deep into writing the final chapter. The next book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series is currently being written under the working title The Beautiful Place. It does not have an official release date yet, but Dinniman has shared enough details to give fans a clear picture of what is coming.
The Next Book Is Book 9, Not Book 8
Some readers searching for the “next” Dungeon Crawler Carl release may still be catching up on the series. Book 8, titled A Parade of Horribles, arrived on May 12, 2026, published by Ace, an imprint of Penguin Random House. That installment took Carl and Donut through the tenth and eleventh floors of the eighteen-floor dungeon, with the tenth floor centered on racing and vehicle upgrades.
Book 8 ended with major revelations. The dungeon AI is not an artificial intelligence but an aggregate intelligence of the Primal race. The Scolopendra attack is a retelling of history rather than a myth. Samantha is far more important to the overall story than Carl had suspected. The biggest surprise came when Carl summoned the dungeon’s final boss, Scolopendra, and Donut accidentally fed her the wrong pet biscuit, turning the towering monster into a companion who is now attracted to Carl.
Dinniman told Variety that he did not plan that ending when he started writing the final pages of Book 8.
“The way I write, when I come into a scene, especially a big scene, I don’t know how it’s gonna go. I have no idea,” Dinniman said. “The book ends with Carl summoning the final boss of the dungeon, which is itself a surprise. I didn’t think I was gonna do that.”
Working Title and What It Means
The next installment is being written under the working title The Beautiful Place. Dinniman revealed the title alongside the book’s prologue in June 2026, though readers should not assume the name will survive all the way to publication. Book 8 went through a title change during development, shifting from “Carl’s Book of Boom” to A Parade of Horribles.
Dinniman has already shared the prologue and early chapters with Patreon supporters. Audiobook narrator Jeff Hays also performed Book 9 material publicly during San Diego Comic-Con 2026. Fans on Patreon have confirmed that the prologue and first chapters were posted, with Dinniman noting that he has a substantial portion of the book written and just needs to organize it.
Why Book 9 Will Be Released as Two Volumes
Dinniman originally suggested the series could run around ten installments. The current plan combines the remaining material into one enormous final story. Rather than publishing conventional Books 9 and 10, Dinniman has described the finale as Book 9 split across two physical volumes.
In an interview, Dinniman explained the approach clearly.
“It’s the penultimate book, Book Nine is the last book, but it’s gonna be so long it’ll be split into two volumes. But it’s really the last book,” he said.
That distinction could become slightly confusing once the books reach stores. There are currently eight numbered novels, meaning two additional physical releases would technically leave readers with ten books on their shelves, even though Dinniman treats the final story as one massive narrative.
Release Date: What We Know So Far
An official release date for Book 9 has not been announced by Dinniman or Penguin Random House. Dinniman has suggested the turnaround could be similar to A Parade of Horribles, which took roughly a year after Book 7, give or take several months. Since Book 8 arrived in May 2026, that makes 2027 a reasonable possibility, but no specific date or release window has been confirmed.
Some retailer listings have shown placeholder dates such as May 4, 2027, but these are not official and should be treated as estimates rather than confirmed information. Book 7, This Inevitable Ruin, arrived in print on September 23, 2025, and in audiobook format on February 11, 2025, showing that print and audio releases do not always align.
What the Final Book Will Cover
Book 9 will pick up after the events of A Parade of Horribles, with Carl, Donut, and their expanded party entering the 12th floor of the dungeon. The story still has to move through the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th floors before time runs out on the current season of Dungeon Crawler World.
Dinniman has described Book 9 as “the hardest book I’ve ever had to write.” He explained that he has kept a list of loose ends he wants to address with the final book. The author has also said he has firm plans for the finale of the series, even though his writing style does not usually involve planning things out in advance.
“I’m a pantser,” he told Popverse. “I’m working on book eight now and it’s probably going to be ten books. We’re past the arc of the arrow. We’re on the way back. I kind of see where the arrow is going to land.”
With Scolopendra now a member of the crew, the dynamic of the party has shifted in a major way. Dinniman confirmed he is already referring to her as “Sexy Scolopendra” in his writing, though he is not sure if that name will stay.
Other Dungeon Crawler Carl Releases in 2026
While fans wait for Book 9, the franchise has several other releases lined up. A tabletop roleplaying game and a companion deck-building game called Dungeon Crawler Carl: Unstoppable are scheduled to ship by October 31, 2026. The crowdfunding campaign raised more than $13.29 million from nearly 56,000 backers, far exceeding its $250,000 goal.
The second volume of the Dungeon Crawler Carl graphic novel adaptation is also on the way. It was scheduled for release on October 6, 2026, but received an early release on September 26, 2026, to mark Local Comic Shop Day. The volume covers chapters 14 through 30 of the webtoon adaptation and includes an exclusive variant cover.
A live-action TV adaptation is also moving forward at Peacock. The series received a straight-to-series order in June 2026, with Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door producing and Chris Yost writing and executive producing. Dinniman is involved as a co-executive producer, and Jeff Hays has been confirmed to voice Princess Donut. Peacock has not announced a premiere date yet.
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Where to Read Book 9 Early
Fans who want to read Book 9 as it is being written can subscribe to Matt Dinniman’s Patreon. The prologue and early chapters have already been posted, and Dinniman has indicated that new chapters will be released at a fairly regular pace. This is the same approach he used for earlier books in the series, giving dedicated readers access to the story months or even a year before the official publication date.
The Dungeon Crawler Carl series has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide as of July 2026. With eight mainline novels released, a TV adaptation in development, tabletop games on the way, and the final book actively being written, the franchise is expanding well past its LitRPG origins.
Also Read: Dungeon Crawler Carl TV Show Adds Shadow and Bone Creator Eric Heisserer as Co-Showrunner
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more updates on Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman’s final book, and the Peacock TV adaptation as new details become available.
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