John Hight, President of Wizards of the Coast, has expressed enthusiastic interest in the potential development of a new Dungeons and Dragons massively multiplayer online role-playing game. During a recent interview, the industry executive revealed his vision for bringing the iconic tabletop franchise into the modern gaming landscape, though he clarified that no official project is currently in development.

Hight brings substantial expertise to the conversation, having previously served as Blizzard's executive producer and vice president for World of Warcraft for over a decade until November 2021. Following his tenure at Blizzard, he spent nearly three years as general manager of the entire Warcraft franchise before assuming his current leadership role at Wizards of the Coast in July 2024.

In his discussion with GamesIndustry.biz, Hight addressed the possibility of a new Dungeons and Dragons MMORPG, noting both the franchise's growing popularity and his personal background in the genre. "I would genuinely welcome such an opportunity," he stated, while emphasizing that any future project would require fundamentally reimagining the MMO format for today's gaming environment. He specifically highlighted the traditional subscription model, initially established by titles like Ultima Online and EverQuest before achieving massive success with World of Warcraft, as particularly deserving of modernization before moving forward with concrete plans.

Despite his personal enthusiasm and positional authority to approve such projects, Hight was careful to clarify that any ambitions for a Dungeons and Dragons MMORPG remain in preliminary stages. "We need to ensure we have assembled the appropriate creative talent," he explained, noting that establishing the necessary backend technology and developing concrete implementation plans represent additional crucial milestones. Nevertheless, Hight remains optimistic about long-term possibilities, describing the concept as "a glimmer in my eye" and something he "genuinely hopes to see materialize."

Given the current developmental landscape, Hight had no specific announcements regarding a Dungeons and Dragons MMORPG. Even if development were to commence immediately, modern high-budget game productions typically require at least five years, with complex massively multiplayer online games potentially demanding even lengthier development cycles.

"I believe we need to fundamentally reconsider what constitutes an MMO in the contemporary gaming ecosystem," Hight remarked, underscoring his vision for innovation rather than repetition of established formulas.

The history of Dungeons and Dragons MMORPGs includes several attempts with varying success levels. Cryptic Studios' Neverwinter, originally launched in 2013, continues operation as the most recent ongoing project. Additionally, Dungeons and Dragons Online remains active with regular updates, approaching its twentieth anniversary in 2026.

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