A big change is happening at Dungeons & Dragons owner Wizards of the Coast. John Hight, current president of the company, is leaving his position soon, and the process of finding his replacement has already begun.
As revealed in a filing for the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Hight is stepping down on September 1. This comes just two years after he took on the role, in August 2024, and a tenure where he oversaw some contentious strategizing.
He's overseen the transition to D&D 5.5 edition and put a big emphasis on the Universes Beyond initiative, helping launch crossover after crossover within Magic: The Gathering. Although some of these partnerships were well-received, like The Lord of the Rings, the general push for novelty isn't completely beloved within the wider community.
Wizards has been aware of this, but believes it's better to lean into evolving the card game rather than backing away. "Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it's just not going back in," Mark Rosewater, head designer on Magic: The Gathering, wrote on a personal blog earlier this month.
"Whether you like or dislike Universe Beyond, it has fundamentally changed the nature of what the game is," he added. "It’s taking the game to a whole new level, in both scope and awareness, much like Commander forever changed how people saw and interacted with the game."
Hight brought a lot of experience with fantasy IP, since he moved over to Wizards from Blizzard, where he served as general manager of Warcraft for over a decade. According to comments provided to GamesIndustry.biz, Hight will continue with Wizards in an "advisory capacity," and the search for his successor is now ongoing.
"There is no change to the strength of the Wizards business," says the statement. "Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons continue to perform incredibly well, consistent with our most recent earnings release, and our upcoming 2027 video game slate, including Exodus and Warlock remains on track."
That last line stands out too, since Hasbro reported a $56 million loss on canceled games just recently. Warlock and Exodus represent a considerably trimmed down slate of releases from the corporation, amid growing uncertainty about its investments in the industry.
