Summary
Chris Perkins, the creative director ofDungeons and Dragons, has officially ended his long career at Wizards of the Coast after 28 years. After being with the company for over half of the game’s lifespan, this legendaryDungeons and Dragonsgame developer has officially retired, and will now enjoy the game as a fan.
When one thinks ofDungeons and Dragonsin the modern era, Chris Perkins is one of the first names that comes to mind. Alongside lead rules designer Jeremy Crawford, Perkins often appeared in videos, panels, and other media as one of thepublic faces talking about the ins and outs ofDungeons and Dragons5th Editionand all of its new content.
Unfortunately, fans won’t be seeing Perkins inDungeons and Dragonscontent in an official capacity any longer. On April 4, Perkins announced on Twitter and Bluesky that he had officially retired from Wizards of the Coast. Having seenDungeons and Dragonsthrough its 50th anniversary and the release of therevised5th Edition D&Dcore rulebooks, Perkins described his retirement as “the perfect fairytale ending.” Leaving on a high note, the former creative director now looks forward to enjoyingDungeons and Dragonssimply as a fan.
Chris Perkins’ Storied Dungeons and Dragons Career
With a career spanning 28 of the 50 yearsDungeons and Dragonshas been around, Perkins has been with the game since a couple of years after theAdvanced D&D Revised Editionwas released. He began as the editor ofDungeonmagazine, worked on WotC’s officialStar Wars: Saga Edition Roleplaying D&Dtie-in, and even served as lead story designer onpopularDungeons and Dragonsadventures likeCurse of Strahdbefore reaching the rank of game design architect, and later creative director.
Outside the development sphere, Perkins has appeared in many actual play streams over the years. He was the dungeon master forAcquisitions Incorporatedfor 11 years before passing the torch to Crawford in 2018, andDice, Camera, Action!until it ended in 2019. Beyond that, he has played as a guest onvoice actor-led livestreamCritical Roletwice, once in Campaign 1 as Shale the Goliath Fighter, and again in Campaign 2 as Spurt, the infamously short-lived Kobold inventor.
While fans are understandably sad to see the legendary Chris Perkins leave Wizards of the Coast, they are glad he is following his heart, and are thankful for his contributions. It remains to be seen if Perkins will be starting any other projects or making future appearances elsewhere. Either way, Crawford and the rest of Wizards of the Coast will have big shoes to fill now that Perkins is no longer with them.
