Wizards of the Coast Hiring New Lead Designer and Head of Game Ecosystem for D&D

Wizards of the Coast seems to be hiring replacements for Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford. This week, Wizards of the Coast posted job listings for a new "Head of Game Ecosystem" for Dungeons & Dragons, as well as a new "Principal Game Designer" for the game. Both are high level positions focused on product execution for Dungeons & Dragons, with 8+ years of experience in game design preferred for both roles.

Wizards of the Coast recently lost the two arguable faces of Dungeons & Dragons - Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins. Both left the company after the launch of D&D's revised 5th Edition ruleset. In an interview I did with Jess Lanzillo about the departures, she indicated that others within the D&D design team would be taking on greater responsibilities moving forward.

The job description for the Principal Game Designer role is below:

The Principal Game Designer leads the execution of Dungeons & Dragons’ major product releases. These tentpole projects span analog and digital expressions and may include setting content, rules-adjacent systems, adventures, and platform-native features. This role architects and stewards the design vision of sophisticated product suites, working closely with design leads, editorial, rules leadership, and digital teams to ensure cohesion and quality across every player touchpoint.

What You'll Do:

• Lead the game design execution of major multi-SKU product suites, collaborating with cross-functional partners to align scope, tone, and player value.
• Structure content development plans, including product mapping, design outlines, and contributor briefs that account for both analog + digital formats.
• Guide designers, freelancers, and partners in developing content that reflects D&D’s tone, design ethos, and evolving format needs.
• Collaborate with rules design leadership to integrate new mechanics or modular systems under development into flagship products.
• Act as the primary design voice for your product(s), providing vision, review, and iteration through every phase of development.
• Partner with the Executive Producer and Head of Product to ensure your projects meet the quality bar and are delivered on time and within budget.

The Head of Game Ecosystem job description is below:

The Head of Game Ecosystem is a crucial leadership position responsible for driving the complete design and evolution of the Dungeons & Dragons game system. This role ensures consistency across all game releases, both physical and digital, preserving the integrity of the rules and mechanics while encouraging innovation.

What You'll Do:

• Define and drive the long-term vision for D&D’s core rules and gameplay systems across all product formats.
• Own the rules roadmap and ensure mechanical consistency and interoperability between releases.
• Propose and lead ecosystem-forward product initiatives—system-focused releases that reinforce the health, extensibility, and accessibility of the D&D ruleset across play formats and player types.
• Lead and mentor a team of game designers and developers to deliver high-quality content at scale.
• Partner closely with product management, narrative, and digital teams to align game systems with franchise goals and player needs.
• Develop frameworks and tools to support scalable content creation—internally and externally—without compromising quality.
• Represent D&D’s systems vision internally and externally, acting as a voice of authority and alignment across all design efforts.

 

[Scarlet.Knight]

No salary range provided? No remote work? Not applyin'.

 

[bedir than]

No salary range provided? No remote work? Not applyin'.

Salaries of 150-200k, roughly are listed, because that's required by law in Washington

 

[Henadic Theologian]

So whose qualified for these jobs? Jeff Grubbs is the only one top of mind.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Collaborate with rules design leadership to integrate new mechanics or modular systems under development into flagship products.

They still banging on this empty promise?

 

[Nightfly]

Salaries of 150-200k

Okay, okay, I'll do it

 

[John R Davis]

I understand very little of those adverts. Clearly need a rank in corporate speak.

 

[EthanSental]

What position did Greg takes when he came back to the company? I’m interested in seeing what he does.

 

[Waller]

No salary range provided? No remote work? Not applyin'.

What makes you think there's no salary range provided?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So this is kind of interesting.

From the job descriptions, and their listed functions, the "Principal Game Designer" is not really originating the game design, like the real concepts, the real "why we're doing this", but rather merely carrying it out. That's very unusual in TTRPGs. Not unheard-of I'm sure, but it's unusual. It's a little more common in video games.

You can see this because none of the major tasks for the Principal Game Designer are in fact, fundamental game design. Like look at this:

Collaborate with rules design leadership to integrate new mechanics or modular systems under development into flagship products.

Yeah collaborate with "rules design leadership" - because that ain't you! You are not a "rules design leader", despite being "Principal Game Designer".

But the Head of Game Ecosystem is the real "game designer" in the sense it's normally used here. We can see this immediately:

Define and drive the long-term vision for D&D’s core rules and gameplay systems across all product formats.

Not just that but also the bullet points that follow it tell you ultimate, all major/serious rule design decisions re: D&D come down to the Head of Game Ecosystem, all major/serious rules concepts are likely to be originated by, or at least have to pass through and be completely approved by the Head of Game Ecosystems.

What this position effectively is, is what video games tend to call a "Game Director" (or sometimes Lead Game Designer or similar), but it contains some elements from a slightly a level even above that.

I'm not necessarily entirely critical of this. I don't know whether this will work well for WotC or not. But it is notable that this is a very corporate and videogame-company-like division of power that suggests WotC still has big plans for D&D in a way it certainly did not in, say, 2014.

The other point that's interesting here is that, if WotC intended to, say, continue with 5E for another 10 years, having both these roles probably wouldn't be necessary - you could likely combine them. To me that we have this particular setup, together with other information, suggests 5E 2024 doesn't have that long on the clock before we get 6E.