Wizards of the Coast shared two job openings for senior Dungeons and Dragons designers on June 3, implying that new leadership will soon be taking charge of the game’s direction. One listing on Hasbro’s website calls for a “Head of Game Ecosystem”, while another is for a “Principal Game Designer”. This is the first update we’ve had on D&D’s leadership since Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins, the previous designers at the top of the chain, retired in Spring.
Hasbro describes the Head of Game Ecosystem as “a crucial leadership position responsible for driving the complete design and evolution of the Dungeons & Dragons game system”. The designer in this role gets to decide the “long-term vision for D&D’s core rules and gameplay systems across all product formats”. Wizards is looking for someone with over a decade of experience in game design, as well as proven management experience and understanding of D&D.
Meanwhile, the Principal Game Designer apparently “leads the execution of Dungeons and Dragons’ major product releases”. That includes everything from “setting content, rules-adjacent systems, adventures, and platform-native features”. Eight years of game or narrative design experience is recommended. Hasbro specifies that this role will work across physical and digital products, so experience with both mediums is preferable.
Despite these job listings promising that, “In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation range for this role”, it’s not clear what candidates for either role can expect to be paid.
In name, these roles don’t exactly match those left open by Game Director Jeremy Crawford and Creative Director Chris Perkins. However, they sound very similar conceptually, so we have to assume that the successful applicants will take on similar roles and levels of responsibility.
Perkins announced his retirement in April 2025, and Crawford quickly followed in May. Both had worked for Wizards of the Coast for several decades, and they were the designers that steered both versions of D&D 5e. At the time of their departure, Wizards of the Coast’s VP of franchise and product Jess Lanzillo said that no direct replacements would be appointed in the near future.
However, in that same interview, a few existing designers were name-dropped as candidates to take on more of a leadership role. These included Justice Arman and F. Wesley Schneider. With Hasbro now seeking external applicants for top leadership roles at D&D, it’s unclear if these same designers have taken any further steps towards seniority.
For more updates on fifth edition, here’s all you need to know about this year’s DnD release schedule. We can also give you the rundown on DnD classes and DnD races – just be sure to share your builds with us in the Wargamer Discord once you’re done crafting.
Source: Wargamer
