Are video games the future of Wizards of the Coast? Hasbro hires John Hight to lead digital gaming efforts

John Hight, the former Blizzard Senior Vice President, has taken on the role of President of Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming. Hight spent twelve years at Blizzard, serving as General Manager of the Warcraft franchise during Dragonflight as well as having some sort of director or producer role in every World of Warcraft expansion going back to Mists of Pandaria. In addition to that, he also directed and oversaw a number of other games and expansions from Hearthstone to Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls to Warcraft Rumble.

As a long-time player and fan of both Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, Hight is tasked with leading the strategy for both franchises as well as Hasbro’s digital games. Chris Cocks, CEO of Hasbro and another video game-minded executive, called out Hight’s experience in game development as important to the company’s plans to expand their digital portfolio. This is the latest move that shows Habro is focused long-term on becoming a dominant force in the video game market.

The company’s two major successes in 2023, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Monopoly GO, were followed up by a $1 billion investment in video game development. In the works are the sorts of title you’d expect from a toy company, like an upcoming GI Joe game that aims to breathe new life into the franchise. However, WotC is also investing in internal development of new IP, a new spacefaring RPG called Exodus.

So what do you think this means for the future of games that fall under Hasbro’s umbrella? Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a runaway success, but what comes next for the game franchise has been uncertain with developer Larian Studios walking away. Does bringing in Hight make it more likely that the next D&D adaptation will be an MMO? Could you envision something like the development of a new mobile game set in the MTG universe in the vein of Warcraft Rumble? We’ll have to stay tuned to see what kind of impact that Hight will have on both the gaming and traditional sides of the coin at WotC.