Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on the method of playing trading card games (TCGs) and produces one of the world’s best-selling TCGs, Magic: The Gathering®, as well as the celebrated Dungeons & Dragons® roleplaying game. Publisher of adventure games, family card and board games, and electronic media products, Wizards of the Coast is also one of the world’s premier book publishers of fantasy series, whose novels have made numerous appearances on The New York Times best-seller list and have sold millions of copies worldwide.


Frequently Asked Questions

Wizards of the Coast (WotC) was founded in 1990 by Peter Adkison and a group of friends in Washington state, initially operating out of a basement to publish role-playing games (RPGs). The company, named after an in-game D&D guild, gained fame after hiring Richard Garfield to develop Magic: The Gathering (1993).
Magic: The Gathering was created by mathematician Richard Garfield in 1993, developed to be a fast-paced, portable trading card game (TCG) that could be played during convention downtime, like waiting in line for you next event. Initially pitching a different board game (RoboRally), Garfield was tasked by Wizards of the Coast to create a game that was fast, portable, and engaging.
Wizards of the Coast (WotC) acquired TSR, the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, for $25 million in April 1997, immediately revitalizing the brand by launching the 3rd Edition in 2000. They introduced the Open Game License (OGL), streamlined the game, and focused on profitable campaign settings like Forgotten Realms.