Hasbro names new president for Wizards of the Coast amid strong revenue growth

Hasbro has appointed Dan Ayoub as the new president of Wizards of the Coast, marking the third leadership change in under five years, Retail Dive reported. Ayoub, who has been involved with Dungeons & Dragons since childhood and has a 25-year career in video game development, will oversee Magic: The Gathering, D&D, Duel Masters, and Hasbro Digital Games.

Ayoub previously worked at Microsoft as an executive producer and studio head for Halo studio 343 Industries. He expressed commitment to prioritizing fans and supporting creators while aiming for growth in both tabletop and digital gaming sectors.

The leadership change follows Hight stepping into an advisory role in September, allowing him to focus on creative projects and teaching. Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment saw a 28% revenue increase, contributing to a 15% overall rise in Hasbro's net revenues to $1.6 billion in the third quarter.

Magic: The Gathering alone reported $600 million in quarterly revenue for the first time. Hasbro also announced the opening of Wizards of the Coast Studios in Montréal, aiming to develop Dungeons & Dragons content and support digital games, which Ayoub described as becoming the largest concentration of video game talent at Hasbro.