Wizards of the Coast (WotC; 1990 - Present) was founded in 1990 by Peter Adkison in Washington State as a small publisher focused on role-playing games. Its breakout success came in 1993 with the release of Magic: The Gathering, the world's first trading card game, which revolutionized both gaming and collectibles. Building on that momentum, WotC acquired TSR, the original publisher of Dungeons and Dragons, in 1997, rescuing the iconic RPG from financial ruin and becoming its new steward. Under Wizards, the Dungeons and Dragons brand experienced a major revival, especially with the release of 3rd Edition in 2000 and later 5th Edition in 2014, which brought widespread popularity and mainstream appeal. Wizards was acquired by Hasbro in 1999 but has remained a semi-autonomous powerhouse within the company, overseeing a growing multimedia empire that includes games, books, digital platforms, and more recently, film and television adaptations.
