Wizards of the Coast appoints Paul Della Bitta, a seasoned veteran from Blizzard, to lead its gaming division

Wizards of the Coast has brought on board Paul Della Bitta, a seasoned professional from Blizzard, to lead its Digital Ventures gaming division.

According to a Bloomberg report, Della Bitta will report to John Hight, the president of the Hasbro-owned firm. His career at Blizzard spanned more than ten years in two separate periods. He also worked with Superplay, Molten Games, and Riot Games, before co-founding Dreamhaven where he managed the publishing sector.

In related news, James Ohlen, the co-creator of Archetype Entertainment, a division of Wizards of the Coast, is transitioning to a creative consultancy role. He is redirecting his creative expertise towards tabletop role-playing games.

Abby Hodes, Hasbro's VP of corporate communications, commented, “James felt the development of the game was on track and the team was well-equipped to continue with the refinement and fine-tuning.”

Ohlen joined Wizards of the Coast in 2019 after having left BioWare the previous year. Wizards announced Archetype in January 2020, and the studio unveiled its premier project, Exodus, during The Game Awards 2023, with a slated release for early 2027 according to this year's announcements.

Chad Robertson, another Archetype co-founder and GM, referred to Exodus as pivotal for Hasbro’s entrance into the AAA gaming market.

Robertson expressed that “Exodus was designed to be foundational not only for video games but also for diverse applications,” highlighting its broader intellectual property potential.

Hasbro's ambition to enter the AAA industry has been ongoing; last year, GamesIndustry.biz noted the company's $1 billion investment in ongoing projects.

Also during The Game Awards 2025, Wizards of the Coast introduced Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons, which is being developed by Invoke Studios and is also scheduled for a 2027 launch.