Along with Rich Kaalaas (who designed the original Wizards of the Coast logo), Jay Hayes, Ken McGlothlen, and Steve Conard were among the company’s original founders. In the beginning, the company operated out of Adkison’s basement while its employees held down other jobs. [3] The company’s initial focus was on publishing RPGs like their own The Primal Order and the third edition of Talislanta. There was legal trouble with the release of The Primal Order because Palladium Books sued over similarities to their game and system. [4] Wizards settled the suit in 1993 for an undisclosed sum and agreed not to advertise Palladium’s products again.
Magic: The Gathering [6] was created by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast under the alias Garfield Games to avoid legal conflict with Palladium. This event marked the beginning of the company’s indelible legacy. With the money from Magic’s success, the company was able to move out of the basement where it had been operating and into its own offices.
A Senior Vice President was let go after Wizards was rocked by a scandal involving questionable purchasing practices and faked expense reports in 2002. Chuck Huebner took over as CEO after Vince Caluori was ousted. [14] Loren Greenwood succeeded Huebner as CEO in April 2004.
The company’s previous headquarters were located at 1801 Lind Ave SW in Renton, Washington, but in October 2005, the company made the move to its new offices directly across the street (1600 Lind Ave. SW).