Hasbro, parent company to Wizards of the Coast, announced that it would be laying off 1100 staff members in an internal company wide email on December 11th. Over the past few days, staff members affected by the layoffs have come forward on social media to reveal they are now looking for work. Many of those affected by the layoffs include members of Wizards of the Coast staff.
This new workforce reduction comes after 800 jobs were slashed at the beginning of the year. These job cuts were reported to be staggered out over the next few months but there are some employees who have already been let go. Layoffs are a challenging time no matter when but ones right before the holidays hit harder for everyone involved.
A Rough Year For The Toymaker
The layoffs announced this week are in addition to 800 layoffs announced in January. Thhat brings the total lost jobs to over 1900 and a 20% workforce reduction. Hasbro has strugged over the past few years thanks to a downturn in the toy market and hoped to correct by focusing on finding cheaper ways to bring existing brands to market.
Wizards of the Coast was a bright spot during this time. Magic The Gathering remainds wildly popular and Dungeons & Dragons has enjoyed a newfound popularity. D&D, in particular, flourished during the lockdown phase of the pandemic as people looked for activities to do via remote communication and in immunized pods.
Not only has Hasbro strugged, one of its main rivals has thrived. Mattel has seen a robust stock price this year thanks to revitalized sales of Barbie toys spurred on by the wildly successful tie-in film. This trend looks to continue as not only was the movie a huge hit, it retains award season buzz unheard of for a movie based on a licensed property.
Layoffs aren’t the only cost saving measure Hasbro looks to be taking. They are in the process of selling their stake in eOne, which helped produced tie-in media such as this year’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. They are also looking to shutter their Providence, R.I. offices at the end of their lease in January of 2025.
It is unknown how these layoffs will affect Wizards of the Coast’s plans for Dungeons & Dragons in 2024. The company planned a huge celebration for the 50th anniversary of the game. It recently announced several books at Pax Unplugged including a scheduled release for a newer, bigger Player’s Handbook.
Wizards Of The Coast Layoffs
As of this writing, here are some of the people who have reported they no longer work for Wizards of the Coast:
- Eytan Bernstein
- Vanessa Cuanan
- Amy Dallen
- Deserae Dawn
- Wendy Despain
- Dan Dillon
- Natalie Egan
- Larry Frum
- Megan Galbraith Donahue
- Bree Heiss
- Jesse Hill
- Jana Hodgins
- Chris Lindsay
- Ellie Lockhart
- David McDarby
- Mike Mearls
- Michael Rexford
- Liz Schuh
- Mile Vaillancourt
The cuts came across several divisions of Wizards of the Coast including Dungeons & Dragons, Magic The Gathering and D&D Beyond. Some employees chose early retirement buyouts instead of being laid off. It is un known if there are more cuts in the company though with so many positions eliminated, it seems likely.
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