Meredith Placko, the CEO of veteran tabletop game publisher Steve Jackson Games, has abruptly resigned from the company just two years after taking over the role and mere weeks after the company reported significant financial losses. It appears as if Placko wanted to get out of dodge as tariffs are about to make the situation worse for the already embattled company.
Placko, who was appointed in April 2023 as part of Steve Jackson Games' push for diversity in leadership, has officially stepped down according to an announcement that carefully avoids mentioning the company's financial situation. Instead, Placko claims she's leaving to focus on her own company, Turbo Dork, stating: "This decision was not made lightly and came after months of deep reflection."
What Placko's statement omits is that her resignation comes soon after the company reported dismal financial results. According to ICv2, Steve Jackson Games' gross sales declined to just $3.5 million in 2023, producing a loss for the year, and that 2024 was flat with 2023’s numbers. This represents a significant drop from their previously reported $4.7 million in 2022, which was later adjusted downward due to "revised accounting for crowdfunding projects.”
The company's founder, Steve Jackson, made an admission about their financial state in their annual report, saying: "No fear; we have plenty of runway left, I just hate to use it." This statement reveals the company is actively burning through cash reserves rather than operating profitably.
Placko's departure also comes close to her public panic over tariffs. On April 3rd, she authored a blog post warning that the 54% tariff on Chinese imports would be devastating for the company, dramatically stating it could mean "closing down entirely" for some game publishers. Just two weeks later, she's abandoning her position.
This financial collapse follows years of Steve Jackson Games embracing progressive politics rather than focusing on game quality. Jackson himself used the company's official blog to rant about the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision in 2022, writing: "I'm worried. I mean, personally worried. I am white, male, reasonably well off, straight, and old, and I am threatened by this Supreme Court. I can only imagine how others less privileged must feel."
The company doubled down on this political direction earlier this year by bringing in transgender activist Jay Dragon as lead game designer, a move that alienated their traditional customer base. Dragon, known for pushing identity politics in tabletop gaming, was part of Placko's vision for the company that has clearly failed to resonate with consumers.
Perhaps most telling is that Placko's resignation comes less than a month after she was elected for a two-year term representing publishers on tabletop trade organization GAMA's board. This suggests she had been using the position for clout in the industry as a launching point for her own end.
With more than 30 full-time staff and contractors at the start of 2025, Steve Jackson Games now faces an uncertain future without leadership. The company that created the popular card game Munchkin appears to be paying the price for prioritizing political messaging over product quality and sound business practices.
As one industry observer noted, "When you spend more time virtue signaling than creating games people actually want to play, this is the inevitable result." For Steve Jackson Games, that result appears to be a company in free fall with its captain already in the lifeboat.
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I have been playing Steve Jackson's games since before SJG existed, back when he wrote games for Metagaming. I would hate to see them go away, but market forces are such that you must adapt or perish.