One of Dungeons & Dragons’ biggest modern influences has announced his retirement. After 28 years of working at Wizards of the Coast on the world’s most popular fantasy RPG, Christopher Perkins is stepping away, leaving a rich history behind.
Christopher Perkins Retiring from Wizards of the Coast
Christopher Perkins announced his retirement from Wizards of the Coast via social media post on X (formerly Twitter). In the post, Perkins states that after 28 years of the company and wrapping up both Dungeons & Dragons’ 50th anniversary and new 2024 core rulebooks, that it was the perfect fairytale ending for him. He states that the franchise is in good hands and that he cannot wait to enjoy D&D purely as a fan.
The official Dungeons & Dragons social media account confirmed Christopher Perkins leaving the company. In a post on Bluesky social, the company stated that they were grateful for Perkins’ decades of work, stating that the game would not be what it is today without his contributions.
Perkins contributions to Dungeons & Dragons are substantial. He joined Wizards of the Coast in 1997 as an editor for Dungeon magazine. He later became a senior producer for the game while developing the Star Wars Saga Edition TTRPG. He also authored a blog, titled “The Dungeon Master Experience” on Wizards’ website, openly dispensing sage advice about the challenges of being a DM.
But Perkins’s biggest contributions came with Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. In addition to being the Senior Story Designer for the game, Perkins was also the lead story designer behind two of 5e’s most acclaimed modules: Curse of Strahd, the 5e update to the iconic Castle Ravenloft module, and the whimsical Feywild journey of The Wild Beyond the Witchlight.
Perkins was also an active public figure for D&D. He DM’d Penny Arcade’s irreverent actual play series, Acquisitions Incorporated, hosted the Twitch live stream series Dice, Camera, Action, and guest-starred on several episodes of Critical Role.
The last Dungeons & Dragons product credited to Christopher Perkins as product lead is the new 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide. An admirable update to the game’s strong foundation.
