Wizards of the Coast Inc., the Renton-based maker of card and role-playing games, will close its entire chain of 64 retail stores over the next two months, including the one at the Everett Mall.
A subsidiary of Hasbro Inc. since 1999, Wizards said it will focus on its core business of game design. The company has hired a Boston-based firm to assist with closing the stores.
Wizards’ games include bestsellers "Magic: The Gathering" and "Dungeons &Dragons," as well as games based on "The Simpsons" and "Star Wars." The company also holds an exclusive patent on popular trading card games and their method of play.
A spokeswoman from Wizards could not be reached for comment on the decision or on how many employees will be laid off because of the closures.
"I think the announcement kind of caught everyone by surprise," said Linda Johannes, manager of Everett Mall, who said she had previously heard rumors that the stores might remain open under a different owner.
Wizards of the Coast opened its Everett Mall store in 2000, she said. The company has no other stores in Snohomish County.
Wizards of the Coast was founded by Peter Adkison, a former Boeing Co. employee who started Wizards in his Kent home in 1990. Adkison left the company after Hasbro acquired it for $325 million.
Wizards is the second retail chain with Puget Sound region roots to close at Everett Mall in the past six months. Last summer, the Spiegel Group closed 60 Eddie Bauer stores across the country.
Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453; fetters@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
