<p>Dry reforming of methane (DRM) has attracted sustained attention as a pathway for the simultaneous utilization of CO₂ and CH₄ to produce synthesis gas with an H₂/CO ratio close to unity, suitable for downstream fuels and chemicals. Nickel-based catalysts remain the industrially relevant choice due to their high activity and economic viability; however, their deployment is limited by carbon deposition, metal sintering, and the high energy demand of the endothermic DRM reaction. This review integrates recent progress in DRM by critically linking mechanistic insights, catalyst materials design, synthesis strategies, reaction conditions, and reactor configurations within a unified framework. Emphasis is placed on the bifunctional nature of DRM, where CH₄ activation on Ni sites is coupled with CO₂ activation on basic or redox-active supports, enabling continuous carbon removal at the metal-support interface. Advances in catalyst development including promoter-assisted Ni systems, hierarchical and redox-active supports, single-atom catalysts, high-entropy alloys, and exsolved perovskite-derived materials are assessed in relation to coking and sintering resistance. Beyond catalyst chemistry, the review highlights emerging reactors and process-intensification strategies, such as membrane reactors and plasma-assisted, photothermal, microwave, and electrified DRM, which aim to overcome thermal and stability constraints. A comparison with recent DRM review articles published between 2024 and 2025 clarifies the distinct contribution of the present work in bridging catalyst design with reactor engineering and emerging activation technologies and outlines critical directions toward scalable and energy-efficient DRM processes.</p>