Wizards of the Coast President resigns after 2 years

Cynthia Williams, who serves as President at Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Gaming, has submitted her resignation from her current role at the company.

In the near future, Wizards of the Coast will require a new President to lead them through a significant year for the organization, following the resignation of current leader Cynthia Williams.

A United States Securities and Exchange Commission filing stated that Williams informed Hasbro of her plans to resign on April 15. She will continue in her role until her resignation becomes effective on April 26. Hasbro has announced that they are conducting a search for a successor, both internally and externally. However, there has been no official statement made regarding Williams’ departure.

Williams has served as Wizards’ president for a little over two years, starting in February 2022 after Chris Cocks, who was previously at WotC, was promoted to CEO of Hasbro.

Despite facing controversy, Williams had a rocky tenure as the role, but also oversaw significant achievements for the company. Under his leadership, Dungeons and Dragons has maintained its remarkable success with the fifth edition and the highly successful launch of Baldur’s Gate 3. However, there were challenges as the company faced backlash over proposed changes to the Open Game License.

Despite being marketed as a celebration of MTG’s 30th anniversary, the company’s TCG pursuits were met with criticism for their overpriced and unplayable nature, with many viewing them as a misguided decision.

Despite facing some challenges, MTG has seen some positive developments under Williams’ leadership. The Standard format has been experiencing a revitalization in-person and the release of the Tales of Middle Earth set has been a huge success, solidifying the Universes Beyond as a crucial part of the game’s future. With even more exciting crossover sets, such as Marvel and Final Fantasy, on the horizon, it is clear that Williams’ successor will continue to build on this momentum.

The upcoming year of 2024 holds great significance for Wizards, as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of D&D and continue to expand MTG with premier sets and Universes Beyond Crossovers. It is important for Wizards to quickly find a replacement for Williams in order to keep their flagship games on the right path.