John Hight, who steered the course of World of Warcraft at Blizzard for over a decade, will now aim to do so at Wizards of the Coast, taking on the role of its new president.
Hight worked as the GM and SVP of the World of Warcraft franchise for twelve years at Blizzard, stepping down from the role this past June. When he stepped down, Hight signaled that he wasn't quite ready to stop working in games, stating that he was "excited to explore new opportunities and challenges in the industry." Well, we now know what those new opportunities and challenges will entail.
Announced via a press release, Hight is joining Wizards of the Coast, which is owned by toy maker Hasbro. Hight will aim to take its major franchises, namely Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: the Gathering, to even greater heights. In his new role, Hight will also oversee Hasbro's gaming studios and "digital licensing agreements."
In the release, Hasbro managing director praised Hight, highlighting his love of WotC's existing franchises as a boon when taking on the new role.
“I admire John’s career focus on fostering community. He is a true embodiment of our mission to bring people together through play. John’s love of D&D and Magic: The Gathering, combined with his leadership in video games, will be crucial as we expand our digital offerings to deliver what our fans crave.”
Wizards of the Coast is most known for its trading card game Magic: the Gathering, as well as the tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons. Both have games built around them, from Magic: The Gathering Arena and Magic: the Gathering Online, as well as Dungeons & Dragons Online, Neverwinter, and the massively award-winning RPG, Baldur's Gate 3. It'll be interesting to see where Wizards' digital offers go from here, and whether Hight can continue to grow two franchises that seem to be at the height of their powers right now already.
