Summary
Former senior vice president and general manager of theWarcraftfranchise John Hight is now the president ofWizards of the Coast. This video game industry titan will now join the executive team ofWizards of the Coast, where he will help developDungeons and DragonsandMagic: The Gathering, and oversee the video gaming initiatives of Hasbro as a whole.
Recently,Hight announced his departure from Blizzardafter an illustrious 12-year career. During his time, Hight worked on nearly a half dozenWorld of Warcraftexpansions,Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls, and oversaw development of bothHearthstoneandWarcraft Rumble. He was known for his optimism and even temper, and was one of the more outspoken voices when it came to rebuilding Blizzard’s reputation after multiple controversies and unpopular design decisions.
Now, Hight is beginning a new adventure with another major entertainment company. Asreported by Business Wire, Hasbro recently announced Hight has joined its executive team as the president of both Wizards of the Coast and of the company’s Digital Gaming branch. In his new position, Hight will take charge ofDungeons and DragonsandMagic: The Gatheringwith a focus on finding “new storytelling tabletop and digital experiences.” He will also oversee all of Hasbro’s gaming studios and digital licensing agreements, marking his arrival as “a significant step in Hasbro’s strategic focus on digital experiences and video games.”
Former Warcraft GM John Hight is Now President of WotC
Before coming to Blizzard, Hight was a board member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, taught game development courses at the USC School of Cinematics, and even helped developAAA games likeNeverwinter Nights,God of War 3, andCommand and Conquer. He is also a known fan of bothDungeons and DragonsandMagic: The Gathering, making him a natural fit for this position.
There is no denying Hight’s arrival at Wizards of the Coast will likely herald some big changes at the company – especially in the video game world. It will not be surprising if Hight uses his game dev experience to follow up on themassive success ofBaldur’s Gate 3with new digital initiatives forDungeons and DragonsandMagic: The Gathering.
Wizards of the Coast itself has been floundering in recent years after a string of its own controversies. Layoffs, rising prices for smaller products, the use of Pinkertons against one of its fans, the Open Gaming License fiasco, andmultiple incidents with AI art have earned Wizards of the Coasta great deal of negative publicity lately. Hopefully Hight, who helped Blizzard course correct through its own storm, can help Wizards of the Coast do the same.
