Hasbro has not said much about Cynthia Williams resigning as President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Gaming.
News that D&D would need a new boss ‘broke’, if that’s the right word, through a little note in a SEC filing.
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. On April 15, 2024, Cynthia Williams, President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Gaming, informed the Company of her resignation from the Company effective April 26, 2024. The Company is conducting a process to identify her successor, looking at both internal and external candidates.
Williams, who worked at Amazon and then Microsoft Gaming before Hasbro, has had a wild time with highs and lows for the Hasbro brand during her tenure. One of the most significant shifts has been the expansion of Magic: The Gathering’s Universes Beyond initiative. These crossovers with beloved franchises like Lord of the Rings have proven massively successful, with MTG Lord of the Rings hailed as the company’s best-selling set.
The digital domain has also delivered victories. In 2023, Baldur’s Gate 3, the most ambitious Dungeons & Dragons video game yet, snagged Game of the Year honors and sold 10 million copies. Additionally, Monopoly Go launched last year, quickly climbing to the top of mobile game download charts.
However, these years have been challenging. Magic: The Gathering players were outraged in 2022 by the 30th Anniversary Edition, a $999 commemorative set of non-tournament-legal cards.
Yet, this controversy was dwarfed by Wizards’ early 2023 attempt to modify the Dungeons & Dragons Open Game License (OGL). The tabletop RPG community reacted with such intensity that Wizards ultimately reversed course entirely. This upheaval proved extremely beneficial for Pathfinder, Kobold Press, and even Critical Role, the latter of which may now become a key D&D competitor.
Williams’ presidency has been a rollercoaster marked by impressive triumphs and serious missteps.
Wizards of the Coast has not said much, but they did tell BoardGameWire;
We’re excited for Cynthia to take the next step in her career and grateful for the contributions she has made in her more than two years at Wizards and Hasbro. We wish her the absolute best in her next endeavor.
We have started the search for our next President of Wizards of the Coast and hope to have a successor in place soon.
Cynthia William’s predecessor, Chris Cocks, will play an essential role in selecting her replacement. Cocks graduated from the head of Wizards of the Coast to take the Hasbro top job.
As Hasbro has said they’ll consider an internal replacement, the new D&D and Magic: The Gathering boss may be a name we’re already familiar with.
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