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Now hiring: Head wizard for MTG & D&D as Wizards of the Coast commander is taken out of the game

Wizards of the Coast president John Hight has stepped down from his role

The art for Jace, Unraveler of Secrets from Shadows over Innistrad — Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

News by Jules Chin Greene, Staff Writer

Published on Mon Aug 03 2026

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Wizards of the Coast is launching a new search for its next president in the wake of John Hight's departure from the role.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz from United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Hight will stay on as "an advisor" beginning this September, with his duties as president wrapping up in late July. Hight was WotC president for two years, joining the company in the summer of 2024 after spending twelve years as the general manager for the Warcraft franchise at Blizzard Entertainment.

In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Wizards of the Coast expressed that the incoming change in leadership will not negatively impact the games that fans love to play: "There is no change to the strength of the Wizards business. Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons continue to perform incredibly well, consistent with our most recent earnings release, and our upcoming 2027 video game slate, including Exodus and Warlock remains on track."

Hight's time as president coincided with an explosion in popularity for Magic: The Gathering in particular. The success of crossovers like Final Fantasy and Avatar: The Last Airbender, which immediately became some of the top-selling Magic sets of all time upon release, is a testament to that.

The previous WotC president was Cynthia Williams, who also served for two years. Will Wizards' next president also stay on for two years? We'll have to wait and see.

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Jules Chin Greene: Jules Chin Greene is a journalist and Jack Kirby enthusiast. He has written about comics, video games, movies, and television for sites such as Nerdist, AIPT, and Multiverse of Color.