Jess Lanzillo Departs Wizards of the Coast

Another high profile name is departing Wizards of the Coast. Over the weekend, Jess Lanzillo announced she was departing Wizards of the Coast. Lanzillo was the VP of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, a position that she held since February 2024. Lanzillo did not provide details about her next role.

During her tenure overseeing the D&D franchise, Lanzillo oversaw the launch of D&D's revised Fifth Edition as well as pushing it into a new direction. Several longtime leaders of the D&D team - Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins - also departed under her tenure. Recently, Wizards of the Coast posted two high-profile development roles seemingly to replace the pair.

Lanzillo's full post can be found below:

After eight years at Wizards of the Coast, I have made the totally reasonable decision to leave a job where I got paid to argue about whether fictional lizard people can have tails. (Of course they can.)

My trajectory at Wizards has been wonderfully unhinged: leading creative during an absolutely wild ride with Magic: The Gathering, doing business things as Chief of Staff, and finally, getting to be the VP of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise — which is either the best job title ever invented or proof that late-stage capitalism has finally achieved absolute absurdity. Take that, liberal arts naysayers!

Wizards turns imaginary worlds into real communities, which sounds fake but is actually the most satisfying work in the world. To everyone who let me champion this mission while constantly asking "can you add more glowies?" — you are perfect and I love you.

I've been ridiculously fortunate for these eight years, and now I'm lucky enough to, yet again, get to choose my own plot twist. The best part about having super specific creative obsessions is that occasionally the universe decides to reward you for them. More soon!

 

[Junkyard Tornado]

Hmm her farewell is well formulated and positive... Some might consider it a bit overly positive. Maybe this is the end of the story. With Perkins and Crawford leaving, and all the Hasbro/WOTC missteps... I think there's more to the story and it's prob not all smooth sailing, as Lanzillo's message makes things seem.

 

[Koloth]

I am going with situation normal at WOTC. Long history of after a major project is freshly out the door, of there being a lot of folks leaving via either layoffs or voluntary separation. Multiple mass Xmas sackings have been reported right here on this site. While a lot of companies try to keep a steady cadre of creative talent, WOTC does pretty much the opposite. Most talent is hired on a functional contract basis even if they are given a Full Time Employee title. Whatever you think of it, it seems to work for them.

 

[ngenius]

That song by Queen may be running on a loop at WoTC.

 

[mamba]

That song by Queen may be running on a loop at WoTC.

‘we are the champions’?

 

[TiQuinn]

That song by Queen may be running on a loop at WoTC.

I do not see how Fat Bottomed Girls has anything to do with this.

 

[jayoungr]

What "new direction" did she push D&D in?

 

[abazaba]

That song by Queen may be running on a loop at WoTC.

Bicycle Race ? (I Want to Ride My Bicycle !)

 

[Umbran]

I am going with situation normal at WOTC.

Not just "at WotC". This is how work and life goes.

Folks, in the modern era, working in the same place for eight years is a good solid long haul. Lots of things change in eight years, both in one's personal life and professional goals.

There's nothing strange in someone leaving a job after eight years, after the close of a major project.

 

[AlViking]

Why is it an indication of anything at all that someone is leaving for other opportunities after 8 years? Could it just be that they had achieved what they want and are looking for something new, especially after launching the biggest update to the rules in a decade?

Maybe there's something going on but people moving on to other positions, especially after they've seen the implementation of a major project, is nothing new or shocking.