• by Alexander Lee
• December 22, 2025

When a recruiter from Wizards of the Coast reached out to John Hight last year, he had no idea what to expect.

“It was very curious — ’Hey, there’s a major game company that’s moving into digital publishing, that has a retail presence,’” Hight told GamesBeat. “I’m like, ‘Who the heck could that be? Is this Sega?’”

Hight had just wrapped up a 13-year run as an executive at Blizzard Entertainment, where he managed the Warcraft franchise, and was planning to take a break before perhaps starting his own studio. But when he found out that the recruiter was reaching out to offer him the role of president at Wizards of the Coast, it didn’t take him long to say yes. For a bona fide “Magic: The Gathering” fan who’s been playing the game since the 90s, the decision was a no-brainer.

But Hight’s role at Wizards of the Coast extends far beyond tabletop gaming. He’s leading the company’s expansion into all facets of media and entertainment — including video games, both through adaptations of tried-and-true Wizards properties and through new, gaming-native franchises like “Exodus.”

At last month’s GamesBeat Next conference, Hight sat down with GamesBeat lead news writer Alexander Lee — that’s yours truly — to record an episode of the BIG Show, our new podcast sharing candid insights and opinions from leaders across gaming and beyond. During a 30-minute chat, Hight discussed his career trajectory, his current favorite color combination in “Magic” and his plans for the future of Wizards of the Coast, in addition to thoughtful ruminations on how future technologies like artificial intelligence will affect the gaming industry.

“Both ‘D&D’ and ‘Magic’ — I mean, they form people’s childhoods. A lot of your friendships are based around people you met in those games,” Hight said. “So, those are sacred.”

To check out the show, listen above — or click here to watch the full video. Stay tuned for more episodes, including additional episodes recorded at GamesBeat Next and GamesBeat’s Hollywood & Gaming summit earlier this month, as well as a full season rollout in early 2026.