Wizards of the Coast president John Hight will leave the role on September 1, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing reported by Polygon. Hight joined the Hasbro-owned publisher in 2024, succeeding Cynthia Williams, and had previously served as executive producer and general manager of the Warcraft franchise at Blizzard Entertainment.
The departure comes after two years of unusually strong results. Wizards reported its most successful fiscal year in 2025, with revenue up 45% year over year. Magic: The Gathering accounted for much of that: the trading card game posted record annual revenue of $1.72 billion, a 59% increase on the prior year, and recently passed $500 million in quarterly revenue for the first time — roughly 48% of Hasbro’s quarterly total.
What Wizards said
In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, the company framed the change as a transition.
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.
The statement adds that there is "no change to the strength of the Wizards business", that Magic and Dungeons & Dragons continue to perform in line with the company’s most recent earnings release, and that its 2027 video game slate — which it names as Exodus and Warlock — remains on track. Wizards says it has opened both an internal and an external search for a successor.
The digital question
Polygon reports speculation that the decision was influenced by a $56 million impairment charge Wizards took against its video game portfolio after cancelling several titles slated for the coming years. Hight came up through the video game industry and was expected to drive the publisher’s digital strategy; as of Polygon’s report, Warlock is the only Dungeons & Dragons video game still confirmed to be in development.
The timing is awkward for the company. The announcement arrives days ahead of the Dungeons & Dragons Vision Keynote at GenCon 2026, where Wizards is expected to detail future products. Hight will remain with the company as a consultant after September 1.
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