Former D&D and MtG Lead Takes Charge of World of Darkness and Vampire: The Masquerade

Alright, so here’s the scoop — White Wolf, the folks behind this whole World of Darkness thing, just snagged Jess Lanzillo. Now, Lanzillo’s got this resume, you know? Used to be big in Dungeons & Dragons world, like, guiding Magic: The Gathering and all that. Yep, she’s now set to conjure up some creative magic over at World of Darkness. Why? Well, apparently, White Wolf wants to pull all their creative strings back in-house. Feels like they’re looking for a bit of control, maybe?

I heard Lanzillo’s going to play around with all their RPGs—like Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and the rest. It’s a weird world, huh? Magic and D&D to vampires and werewolves. Talk about a twist, right? And she’s supposed to make it all accessible and juicy across who-knows-how-many platforms out there.

Jess said something about these games being, like, her “creative north star” since, dunno, the ’90s. That’s a throwback. She’s all about that lore and player stuff—not just games but “cultural touchstones.” No biggie, just changing the world, eh?

It’s not just Jess jumping ship, though. Seems like Dungeons & Dragons is springing leaks left and right. Folks from Wizards of the Coast are peacing out too. Heard Perkins and Crawford packed up last April. They’re heading to places like Critical Role’s new digs. What’s in the water over there? Makes you think.

Anyway, Marco Behrmann at White Wolf is jazzed about it. Calls Lanzillo a creative genius or something. Big moves, ambitious stuff. Paradox, the company on top, they’re dreaming of turning World of Darkness into a top-tier horror brand. Tall order, huh?

So, Jess, longtime fan and all that, she’s got to deliver. If she can blend fan passion and industry smarts, maybe there’s a shot. Meanwhile, Vampire: The Masquerade’s diving back into video games. Bloodlines 2 is dropping in October. Finally, right? Been waiting forever.

Seems like an interesting time for gaming, for sure. But seriously, what’s brewing at Wizards? Stay tuned, I guess.