Wizards of the Coast President resigns after 2 years

Cynthia Williams, President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Gaming, has filed to resign from her position at the company.

Wizards of the Coast will soon need another President to steer them through a momentous year for the company, as current head Cynthia Williams has resigned.

According to a United States Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Williams told Hasbro of her intent to resign on April 15, and she will remain in the position until the resignation takes effect on April 26. As part of the filing, Hasbro is said to be looking both internally and externally for a successor to her role, while no official statement on her departure has yet been made.

Williams has been in the role of Wizards’ president for just over two years, beginning in February 2022 when predecessor Chris Cocks stepped up from WotC to become the CEO of Hasbro.

Williams’ time in the role was a rocky one, marred by controversy while at the same time overseeing major successes for the company. Dungeons and Dragons has continued the unprecedented successes of its fifth edition, and the smash success release of Baldur’s Gate 3, while eventually capitulating over disastrous changes set to go into effect around the Open Game License.

Meanwhile, MTG’s 30th-anniversary packs were received as a horrendous miscalculation in the company’s TCG pursuits, serving as overpriced proxies without any value for competitive play.

It hasn’t all been grim for MTG under Williams’ watch, however, thanks to the ongoing revitalization of the Standard format in-person, as well as the astounding success of the Tales of Middle Earth set cementing Universes Beyond as an integral part of the game’s future releases. With Marvel and Final Fantasy crossover sets yet to come, whoever ends up as Williams’ successor will no doubt work to keep that momentum going.

2024 is set to be a crucial year for Wizards, with D&D’s 50th celebrations and MTG continuing to push into new territory with both premier sets and Universes Beyond Crossovers. Wizards will no doubt want to find a replacement for Williams with due haste, to ensure that the company’s flagship games stay on track.