Wizards of the Coast: trading cards for collectors
Wizards of the Coast is the American publisher behind Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. Peter Adkison founded the business in 1990 near Seattle, Washington, and it is now headquartered in nearby Renton.
Most-collected ranges
Key facts
| Founded | 1990, by Peter Adkison, near Seattle, Washington |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Renton, Washington, USA |
| Magic: The Gathering launched | July 1993, Origins Game Fair, Dallas |
| Magic designer | Richard Garfield |
| Parent company | Hasbro, since September 1999 |
| Dungeons & Dragons | Acquired with TSR in 1997 |
| Digital | Magic: The Gathering Arena, released 2019 |
About Wizards of the Coast
Its breakthrough came with Magic, created by the mathematician Richard Garfield, which launched in July 1993 at the Origins Game Fair in Dallas and became the template for the modern trading card game industry.
Magic's early success was immediate: the following month, its 2.5 million-card supply sold out at Gen Con, and Wizards expanded rapidly through the 1990s. In 1997 it bought TSR, the original publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, and between 1999 and 2003 it published the English Pokémon Trading Card Game under licence. Hasbro acquired Wizards of the Coast in 1999 for around $325 million, and the company remains part of Hasbro today, run as one of its core businesses.
For collectors, Wizards' decisions directly shape the market. It sets print runs, chooses which cards are reprinted, and designs premium products such as Collector Boosters, Secret Lair drops and serialized cards. Since 2021 it has grown Universes Beyond, its line of crossovers with franchises including The Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Fallout and Final Fantasy, which Hasbro described as Magic's best-selling set on release in 2025.
Wizards also runs Magic's digital platforms, including Magic: The Gathering Arena, released in full in 2019, and organises competitive play worldwide. Its policies on reprints, rotation and format legality all influence which cards rise or fall in value. Collectors following Magic prices therefore tend to watch official announcements closely, from new set reveals and previews to changes to the ban list.
Sources
- Wizards of the Coast - Wikipedia
- ICv2: Wizards of the Coast's Universes Beyond announcement reveals licensing plans (Feb 2021)
- Popverse: Final Fantasy is Magic's top-selling set
- Wargamer: Universes Beyond changes for 2025
Questions people ask
Who owns Magic: The Gathering?
Magic: The Gathering is owned by Wizards of the Coast, which has been a subsidiary of Hasbro since 1999. Wizards designs, prints and publishes the game worldwide.
When was Magic: The Gathering first released?
Magic debuted in July 1993 at the Origins Game Fair in Dallas. It was designed by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast.
Did Wizards of the Coast make Pokémon cards?
Yes. Wizards published the English Pokémon Trading Card Game from 1999 until 2003, after which the licence returned to Nintendo's affiliate.
Does Wizards of the Coast own Dungeons & Dragons?
Yes. Wizards bought TSR, the original publisher of Dungeons & Dragons, in 1997 and has published the game ever since.
What is Universes Beyond?
It is Wizards' line of Magic products based on other franchises, such as The Lord of the Rings, Warhammer 40,000, Doctor Who, Fallout and Final Fantasy. It was announced in 2021.
Pully Markets is for adult collectors (18+). It's an independent guide — not affiliated with any publisher named here — and nothing on it is financial advice. Card values can fall as well as rise.
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