Formerly the head of Dungeons & Dragons, Ayoub is stepping into a bigger role following John Hight's departure earlier this year.
Former Halo executive Dan Ayoub has been appointed President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Digital Games, taking charge of some of Hasbro's biggest gaming franchises, including Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
Hasbro officially announced the appointment on Tuesday (27 October), confirming that Ayoub will assume his new role on 2 November 2026. He succeeds John Hight, who previously served as president of the division. On the video game side, Ayoub will also oversee upcoming projects such as Archetype Entertainment's sci-fi RPG Exodus and Invoke Studios' action-adventure game Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons.
Who is Dan Ayoub, the new Wizards of the Coast president?
Ayoub is a gaming industry veteran with 25 years of experience, including an extensive career at Microsoft. During his 11 years at the company, he served as executive producer and studio head at 343 Industries, with credits on major Halo releases such as Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Halo Wars 2.
He later joined Certain Affinity as Vice President of Canadian Operations and General Manager of its Toronto studio before moving to Wizards of the Coast in 2022 to lead its digital studios. During his time at Hasbro, he served as Senior Vice President of Digital Games, where the company credits him with expanding its studios and international partnerships. More recently, he led Dungeons & Dragons as Senior Vice President, helping revitalise the franchise across tabletop and digital gaming, according to Hasbro.
In a statement, Ayoub expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to lead Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Digital Games, highlighting his longstanding connection to the company's franchises. "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," Ayoub said. "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."
Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks also welcomed Ayoub's appointment, expressing confidence in his ability to lead the company's gaming businesses. "He understands what our games mean to the people who play them and what it takes to build great teams and experiences," Cocks said.
Ayoub's appointment follows an extensive search involving dozens of internal and external candidates, making him the first internal candidate to be promoted to the presidency. Cocks said the promotion reflects one of his top priorities as CEO: developing talent from within the company. For Hasbro, the appointment also marks a new chapter for its gaming division, with Ayoub set to take the helm on 2 November.
