Blockchain Heavyweights Beef Up Leadership with Key Appointments

Recent high-profile appointments in the blockchain gaming industry include Olivia Song joining Mocaverse, George Yousling at Yuga Labs, Kensuke Amo with Animoca Brands Japan, and Greg Canessa at Horizon Blockchain Games. These appointments indicate the growing maturity and adoption of blockchain technology in gaming, as experienced professionals from traditional gaming companies enter the space to drive innovation and growth.

Industry Veteran Olivia Song Joins Animoca Brands as Head of Business Development for Mocaverse

In a strategic move to accelerate the growth of its ambitious metaverse project, Animoca Brands has appointed Olivia Song to the newly created role of Head of Business Development for Mocaverse. Song brings a wealth of experience and expertise in blockchain technology and ecosystem development to the team, having previously served as Business Development Lead at Avalanche Korea for the past four and a half years.

In her new role, Song will leverage her extensive network, deep understanding of the blockchain industry, and proven track record in fostering strategic partnerships to drive the expansion of the Mocaverse Partners Network. Her primary focus will be on developing and implementing a comprehensive interoperable infrastructure layer that will serve as the foundation for sustainable consumer growth within the Mocaverse ecosystem.

Former Polygon Gaming Exec George Yousling Joins Yuga Labs as Head of Gaming Business Development

On the heels of the recent acquisition of NFT collection Moonbirds by BAYC-creator Yuga Labs, the company has made a key addition to its leadership team by appointing George Yousling as Head of Gaming Business Development. Yousling joins Yuga Labs from Polygon, where he held the position of Global Director of Gaming Business Development.

With a proven track record of fostering strategic partnerships and driving growth in the gaming industry, Yousling will play a pivotal role in expanding Yuga Labs' presence within the gaming sector. His responsibilities will include developing and executing strategic initiatives to integrate Yuga Labs' popular NFT collections into innovative gaming experiences, leveraging blockchain technology to enhance player engagement and ownership.

Blockchain Pioneer Animoca Brands Japan Welcomes Kensuke Amo as Chief Operating Officer

As part of its ongoing expansion in the Japanese market, Animoca Brands Japan has appointed Kensuke Amo to the role of Chief Operating Officer. Amo brings a wealth of experience in the blockchain and gaming industries, having previously held leadership positions at Coincheck and Bitfury.

During his tenure at Coincheck, Amo played a pivotal role in establishing Japan's first NFT marketplace for crypto asset exchangers and the first IEO (Initial Exchange Offering) in the country. In 2022, Animoca Brands Japan recognized his exceptional contributions and appointed him as Managing Executive Officer, entrusting him with the responsibility of spearheading its NFT and metaverse business. Amo has also been instrumental in the successful expansion of Animoca partner games such as The Sandbox and Otherside in Japan.

Xbox Live Arcade Veteran Greg Canessa Takes the Helm as President and COO of Horizon Blockchain Games

Horizon Blockchain Games, the developer behind the popular Sequence platform, has announced the appointment of Greg Canessa as President and Chief Operating Officer. Canessa brings a wealth of experience in the gaming industry to Horizon, having previously held senior leadership roles at Xbox Live Arcade and Google.

Prior to joining Horizon, Canessa served as Global Director at Google, where he led operational and marketing functions for the company's cloud gaming ventures. In his new role, Canessa will be responsible for the overall strategic direction and operational execution of Horizon Blockchain Games, focusing on driving the company's growth and innovation in the rapidly evolving web3 gaming space.

Sky Mavis Appoints Ellen Gormley as First CFO to Steer Financial Strategy and Operations

In a significant move to strengthen its financial leadership, Axie Infinity developer Sky Mavis has appointed Ellen Gormley as its first Chief Financial Officer. Gormley brings over two decades of financial leadership experience to Sky Mavis, having held senior roles at leading companies in the blockchain and technology industries.

Gormley's responsibilities will encompass defining Sky Mavis' overall financial strategy, including fundraising, investments, governance, and day-to-day financial operations. Prior to joining Sky Mavis, Gormley led the financial team at DeFi network Radix and served as Group Financial Director at web3 infrastructure company Bitfury.

Animoca Brands Veteran Taehoon Kim Steps Down as CEO of nWay to Focus on Advisory Role

After 12 years at the helm of nWay, co-founder Taehoon Kim has announced his decision to step down as CEO and transition to a new role as an advisor to Animoca Brands, the parent company of nWay. Kim's departure marks a significant change in leadership for the award-winning mobile game development studio.

During his tenure as CEO, Kim played a pivotal role in guiding nWay to prominence in the gaming industry. Under his leadership, nWay developed successful mobile games such as Power Rangers: Legacy Wars and WWE Undefeated, establishing the studio as a leader in the realm of licensed mobile gaming.

Global Esports Icon Carlos Rodríguez Joins Farcana as Active Advisor and Board Member

Farcana, a Dubai-headquartered developer of competitive blockchain-based games, has announced the appointment of Carlos Rodríguez as an active advisor and board member. Rodríguez brings to Farcana his deep understanding of the esports industry, having co-founded and served as CEO of G2 Esports, one of the world's leading esports teams.

In his new role, Rodríguez will provide strategic guidance to the Farcana team, leveraging his extensive experience in building and managing successful esports organizations. He will also play a key role in developing Farcana's competitive gaming ecosystem, helping to shape the company's approach to professional tournaments and player relations.

Blockchain Veteran Justin Edwards Tapped as Head of Gaming for Telos

The Telos blockchain has appointed Justin Edwards as its Head of Gaming. Edwards brings a wealth of experience in the gaming industry to Telos, having previously held executive positions at leading companies such as Jagex (RuneScape), Lockwood (Avakin Life), and Decentraland.

In his new role, Edwards will be responsible for spearheading the growth of Telos' gaming ecosystem. He will focus on fostering strategic partnerships, developing innovative gaming experiences, and exploring new opportunities at the intersection of gaming and blockchain technology.

Former Apple Exec Nicola Sebastiani Joins The Sandbox as Chief Content Officer

The Sandbox has appointed Nicola Sebastiani as its new Chief Content Officer. Sebastiani brings a deep understanding of the content creation landscape to The Sandbox, having previously held senior leadership roles at Apple App Store, Apple Arcade, and PlayStation Studios.

As Chief Content Officer, Sebastiani will oversee game publishing and in-house game production for The Sandbox's partners. He will also drive adoption for creator tools such as Game Maker and VoxEdit, empowering users to create and share their own gaming experiences within The Sandbox platform.

Azra Games Taps RPG Veteran Justin Jones as VP of Product Design for Project Legends

Azra Games, a leading developer of hero collectible RPGs, has announced the appointment of Justin Jones as VP of Product Design for its upcoming title, Project Legends. Jones brings over 15 years of experience in designing successful RPG, collectible, and strategy games to the Azra team.

In his new role, Jones will be responsible for leading the design and development of Project Legends. He will draw upon his experience working on iconic franchises such as Dragon Age, Game of Thrones, and EA's Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes to create a deeply immersive and engaging gaming experience for players.

Decentralised Gaming Ventures Expands Web3 Presence with Key Hires for Southeast Asian Growth

Decentralised Gaming Ventures (DGV), a Singapore-based web3 venture builder, has announced the appointment of Joseph Young as Chief Investment Officer and Alvyn Ng as Senior Marketing Manager to enhance the company's web3 gaming expansion across Southeast Asia.

Young joins DGV from venture capital firm Hashed, where he managed gaming companies and led fundraising rounds. He brings to DGV his extensive experience in the web3 industry and his deep understanding of the gaming sector.

Ng joins DGV from Garena, where he successfully ran campaigns for one of the biggest-grossing games in the region. His proven track record in marketing and community engagement will be instrumental in driving growth for DGV and its portfolio of web3 gaming companies.

WAGMI Games Strengthens Executive Team with Key Hires to Drive Mobile Strategy

US-based game development studio WAGMI Games has announced the appointment of Esteban Gil and Brent Pease to key leadership positions. Gil joins WAGMI as Director of Business Strategy, while Pease takes on a combined role of COO and General Manager.

Gil brings to WAGMI his experience as a Senior Product Manager at EA, where he led strategy and live operations for Apex Legends Mobile. Pease joins from EA, where he held the position of Director of Operations.

The additions of Gil and Pease to the WAGMI Games team will bolster the company's ability to develop and execute its mobile game strategy. They will be responsible for driving innovation and delivering engaging gaming experiences to players.

Blockchain Game Alliance Elects Six New Board Members after Open Voting Process

After an open submission process followed by a member vote, the Blockchain Game Alliance has announced the election of six new members to its board of directors. The newly elected members bring a diverse range of expertise and perspectives to the organization, representing a variety of stakeholders in the blockchain gaming industry.

The six newly elected board members are:

• Leah Callon Butler, Director at Emfarsis
• Yasmina Kazitani, Chief Marketing & Partnerships Officer at Interverse
• Christina Macedo, Co-Founder & COO at Ready gg
• Hideaki Uehara, Director of Business Development at Square Enix Ltd.
• Mariano Rubinstein, CEO and Co-Founder at Sura Gaming
• Alex Kosloff, Head of Business Development at Altura

MYSTiC Games Appoints Vishal Pandey as Chief Marketing Officer to Spearhead Growth

MYSTiC Games, the game studio behind the recently launched web3 roguelike title Call of the VoYd, has appointed Vishal Pandey as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Pandey brings a wealth of experience in growth marketing and revenue generation to the MYSTiC Games team.