Sigil, the Dungeons & Dragons virtual tabletop project, has been hit hard by the layoffs at Wizards of the Coast (WotC).
Close to 90% of the development team (or around 30 employees) have been laid off.
The unexpected layoffs have raised concerns about Sigil’s troubled development and WotC’s handling of the ambitious platform.
Developed on Unreal Engine 5, Sigil was meant to be a premium virtual tabletop (VTT) experience that would integrate flawlessly with D&D Beyond. The goal was to create a digital world with great visuals, interactive terrains, and customizable characters.
However, despite its attention-grabbing presentation, the product was far from complete when it launched quietly on February 27, 2025. Many core features, including combat mechanics, race and class functionalities, and customization options, were either broken or entirely missing.
The news of the layoffs surfaced via a LinkedIn post from Andy Collins, a senior writer and team lead for Sigil. He expressed his disappointment over the decision in his announcement but acknowledged the dedication of his former colleagues. “Approximately 30 talented developers (90% of the team) were laid off from the Sigil [...] team at Wizards of the Coast, including yours truly,” Collins wrote.
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t get to continue working toward the full experience that we imagined, but happy for the opportunity to work on an intriguing challenge with so many smart and dedicated folks.” Shortly after Collins’ post, internal communications from WotC leadership confirmed the layoffs.
Reports (via PCGamer) cite an anonymous employee who says a lack of clear guidance from leadership hampered Sigil’s development. Hasbro and WotC treated Sigil as if it were a video game, which led to wrong decisions on scope and monetization.
In a reported email to employees, Dan Rawson, Senior Vice President of Dungeons & Dragons, wrote: “After several months of alpha testing, we’ve concluded that our aspirations for Sigil as a large, standalone game with a distinct monetization path will not be realized.”
He added that Sigil would become a minor feature within D&D Beyond, managed by a reduced team, to maintain access at no extra cost to users.
Sigil seemed like the next big thing, but with the project downshifting, expectations aren’t as high anymore. The downfall of Sigil serves as yet another example of corporate leadership misunderstanding the needs of its player base.
Time will tell if WotC takes lessons from this, but for now, Sigil stands as a warning of how corporate ambition can falter without clear direction.