Hasbro has announced that Dan Ayoub will be taking over the role of president for its Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Digital Games divisions. Ayoub – a veteran of the industry who has previously served as the head of the president of Halo developer 343 Industries – will be in charge of work on a variety of video games, as well as Magic: The Gathering, Duel Masters, and Dungeons & Dragons.
On the Hasbro Digital side of things, Ayoub will oversee the development of Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons and Archetype Entertainments’ Exodus. Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks spoke about Ayoub’s qualifications that make him the ideal leader for these divisions.
“Dan has the passion and leadership caliber to take Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Digital Games into its next chapter. He understands what our games mean to the people who play them and what it takes to build great teams and experiences. His promotion reflects one of my top priorities: developing our people. I couldn’t think of a better match to lead these businesses and I’m excited for the future with him at the helm.”
Ayoub’s new role comes following his recent stint as the senior vice president of Dungeons & Dragons, where he was in charge of leading the franchise as a whole. In its press release, Hasbro has given Ayoub some credit for the tabletop RPG’s surge in popularity over the last several years. Ayoub had joined the company back in 2022, and has even served as the senior vice president of Digital Games at one point.
Before that, Ayoub had spent 11 years at Microsoft in a number of roles, including as an executive producer and studio head of 343 Industries. He would eventually serve a stint as vice president and general manager of Certain Affinity.
“I’m honored to lead Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Digital Games, and grateful to Chris and the leadership team for this opportunity,” said Ayoub in a statement. “Magic and D&D have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and the teams behind them are among the best in the world. We’ll put fans first, respect the artists and creators who make these worlds come alive, and set an ambitious course for growth across tabletop and digital. I can’t wait to get started.”
What this means for Hasbro’s two upcoming games – Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons and Exodus – remains to be seen. Archetype Entertainment, however, had recently showcased a new trailer for its sci-fi RPG Exodus, giving us our first look at how the team has improved the character model for protagonist Jun Aslan. The team also noted that it has been paying attention to feedback from fans following the release of various trailers. Exodus is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on April 7th.
Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, on the other hand, doesn’t yet have a release date. The title is being developed for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and the team has spoken about how it wants to ensure that its magic system makes players feel overpowered.
