A successor has not been decided

Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast president John Hight is stepping down from the role. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing from July 27th revealed that Hight will be moving on from the role come September 1st. This doesn't mean he's leaving the company completely, as he'll be shifting into an advisor role. The change in role comes roughly two years after Hight took it in August 2024, and after WOTC owner Hasbro took a $56 million impairment charge last week.

In a statement provided to GamesIndustry.biz, WOTC said, "After two years as President of Wizards of the Coast, John Hight is transitioning from the role, effective September 1. We're deeply grateful for his leadership and the contributions he's made to our teams and our games during his tenure. John will continue to support Wizards in an advisory capacity while pursuing other creative and professional opportunities he's passionate about."

They go on to explain they're finding "no change to the strength of the Wizards business," saying that Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons are still performing "incredibly well, consistent with our most recent earnings release, and our upcoming 2027 video game slate, including Exodus and Warlock remains on track. We're launching an internal and external search for John's successor and will share updates as appropriate."

It's also worth noting that this comes at a time when there's been a big unionisation push from the dev team behind Magic: The Gathering Arena. Earlier this year the digital card game developers formed their union in conjunction with the Communications Workers of America. Communication with WOTC seemed non-existent following this move, but in June the devs' union, now dubbed United Wizards of the Coast, was officially elected.