Dungeons & Dragons owner Hasbro has tapped former World of Warcraft general manager and SVP, John Hight, to lead Wizards of the Coast as company president.
Hight spent 12 years at Blizzard, overseeing all development and commercial activities on key titles like World of Warcraft Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble. He also steered development on the console version of Diablo III and multiple expansions for World of Warcraft.
Hasbro described Hight as an “industry titan” and explained he will oversee the company’s network of gaming studios and digital licensing agreement. He will also lead strategy on key franchises including Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, the latter of which is back in vogue thanks to the meteoric success of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Chris Cocks, managing director at Hasbro, praised Hight’s ability to foster communities. “He is a true embodiment of our mission to bring people together through play,” he added in a press release. “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.”
Joining Hight at Hasbro is former Bungie COO Holly Barbacovi, who returns as chief people officer. Barbacovi previously served as VP of human resources at Wizards of the Coast from 2016 to 2020, and is back to lead Hasbro’s global HR organization.
High level shifts alongside layoffs at Hasbro
Both appointments come after Hasbro announced plans to make over 1,100 layoffs through 2024 and beyond. The company announced the cuts in December 2023 and explained they would take place over 18 to 24 months. Cocks described those redundancies as a “last resort” that would ensure Hasbro remains “healthy.”
“While we’re confident in the future of Hasbro,” he said at the time. “The current environment demands that we do more. I know this news is especially difficult during the holiday season.”
Shortly after announcing those cuts, Hasbro revealed it had earned $90 million from Baldur’s Gate 3. Larian’s acclaimed RPG swept the award circuit and evidently sold more than a handful of copies.