Wizards of the Coast president John Hight might be stepping down from his position as of Sept.1, in keeping with a U.S. Securities and Alternate Fee submitting on Tuesday. Hight joined the corporate in 2024, changing Cynthia Williams. Beforehand, he labored as govt producer and normal supervisor for the Warcraft franchise at Blizzard Leisure.
Beneath Hight’s management, Wizards skilled unprecedented monetary success. The Hasbro-owned firm, which publishes widespread tabletop video games Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, reported its most profitable fiscal yr in 2025, with a forty five% year-over-year income progress. Magic, specifically, shines as the corporate’s crown jewel: The buying and selling card recreation achieved file annual revenues of $1.72 billion, marking a 59% improve over the prior yr. Not too long ago, the property surpassed $500 million in quarterly income for the primary time in its historical past, accounting for about 48% of Hasbro’s quarterly income.
In a press release to Gamesindustry.biz, Wizards of the Coast had the next to say relating to Hight’s departure from the position:
“After two years as President of Wizards of the Coast, John Hight is transitioning from the position, efficient September 1. We’re deeply grateful for his management and the contributions he is made to our groups and our video games throughout his tenure. John will proceed to help Wizards in an advisory capability whereas pursuing different inventive {and professional} alternatives he is keen about.
There isn’t a change to the energy of the Wizards enterprise. Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons proceed to carry out extremely effectively, in keeping with our most up-to-date earnings launch, and our upcoming 2027 online game slate, together with Exodus and Warlock stays on monitor.
We’re launching an inside and exterior seek for John’s successor and can share updates as applicable.”
The announcement is stunning, approaching the heels of Magic‘s quarterly income success and some days forward of the Dungeons & Dragons Imaginative and prescient Keynote at GenCon 2026, the place main information on future merchandise might be shared. There may be hypothesis that Hight’s choice was influenced by Wizards incurring a $56 million impairment cost to its online game portfolio, as a result of cancellation of a number of video games scheduled for launch within the upcoming years. Hight, who rose by way of the online game business, was supposed to provide an impulse to Wizards of the Coast’s digital technique. On the time of writing, just one D&D online game continues to be confirmed to be in improvement, Warlock.
Hight will stay with Wizards of the Coast in a marketing consultant position after Sept. 1.
