Wizards of the Coast's Chris Perkins Leaves His Position
Freelancing his magical prowess after a whopping 28 years, legendary Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) maestro Chris Perkins hung up his spellbook and called it a day as Wizards of the Coast employee.
With a fairytale send-off, Perkins announced his departure on a Friday, sharing his excitement about embracing D&D entirely as a fan again, confident the game is in capable hands. The retirement timing couldn't be more prescient, happening on the brink of D&D's 50th anniversary and the successful launch of its updated rulebooks - a phenomenon Perkins himself dubbed as "doing gangbusters."
After parting ways with his role as D&D's product lead post-Dungeon Master's Guide launch in October 2024, a Wizards representative previously assured Polygon that Perkins wasn't going anywhere; merely shifting positions within the company.
Chris first stepped onto the tabletop game scene in 1988, penning the "Wards of Witching Ways" adventure for Dungeon Magazine #11 under the pseudonym "Christopher Zarathurstra." His formal association with Wizards began in 1997 as an editor for Dungeon, later ascending to editor-in-chief of Wizards periodicals. Chris forged an indelible mark on D&D over the years, contributing significantly to its fourth and fifth editions, as well as the renowned Curse of Strahd module.
Perkins is also recognized for popularizing the Actual Play genre through D&D games at events such as PAX and the creation of Twitch's Dice, Camera, Action show. He even lent his Dungeon Master skills to Critical Role as a guest star.
With Perkins' departure, the D&D team expressed gratitude for the incalculable impact he made during his tenure at Wizards. Despite the pang of loss, they are excited to welcome him back to the game anytime. The team also highlighted his role in cultivating the next generation of leaders set to take the helm as Chris moves on to savor his retirement.
Now speculation about Chris' future plans and potential successors within Wizards of the Coast is swirling among fans and the community. Keep an eye out for updates on your favorite Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe, and Doctor Who releases, as the show must go on!
- Chris Perkins, known for his contributions to games like Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), will be purely focusing on the game as a fan, following his departure from Wizards of the Coast.
- In the future, technology is expected to play a significant role in the successful evolution of D&D, as the game has been doing gangbusters with its updated rulebooks.
- Although Chris Perkins exited his role at Wizards of the Coast in 2024, his influence on the D&D team and the wider gaming community is continuing, with the team looking forward to his potential return.
- As Chris Perkins moves into retirement, IO9 might cover news about his future plans, as well as the successors within Wizards of the Coast, releasing exciting content about Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe, and Doctor Who, among others.
