John Hight, the president of Magic: The Gathering, will be stepping down from his role on September 1, 2026. Hight is also the former executive producer and vice president of World of Warcraft.
The news was announced through a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing, and reveals that Wizards of the Coast, the owners of Magic: The Gathering, and its parent company Hasbro, have entered into a transitional advisory services agreement with Hight once he leaves his position.
This will allow Hight to remain in an advisory role where he will continue to report to the CEO, and, according to the filing, maintain “such duties and responsibilities as are reasonably assigned by the CEO from time to time.” The goal is to allow the company to still benefit from Hight’s experience while searching for his potential successor.
“Mr Hight’s outstanding long-term incentive awards will continue to vest in accordance with their terms,” states the filing about Hight’s salary, which will remain in place, as will any bonuses he is due for the fiscal year of 2026. However, he won’t be eligible for any annual bonus for the year of 2027.
Hight was associated with Blizzard for over 13 years, most notably World of Warcraft, before joining Wizards of the Coast in 2024. Hight was responsible for streamlining Wizards of the Coast’s franchise strategy in 2025 after over a year in the role.