65 Games Industry Leaders Share Their Resolutions for 2025

We asked leaders and luminaries from across the games industry about what they plan to do differently in 2025

2024 was a year of contradictions for the games industry. It was one of the best years ever for devs and fans of independent games. But it was also marred by record-breaking layoffs and studio closures on the AAA side of the business.

With the second half of the 2020s set to begin in mere weeks, it’s a time both for reflection and for looking forward. So we reached out to 65 of our friends in leadership roles across the industry to ask one simple question:

What will you do differently next year, compared to this year?

In this special edition of the A16Z GAMES newsletter (the last one of the year), we’re bringing you 65 thought-provoking “gaming resolutions” from the people on the cutting edge of this wild, ever-evolving industry and art form.

From all of us at a16z: we wish you a peaceful and joyous holiday season.

Creators and Innovators

Standout creative leaders who bring a fresh spark to the games industry

Rebecca “Rebb” Ford started at Digital Extremes in 2011 as a studio assistant before rising through the ranks to become creative director on Warframe, the studio’s award-winning flagship title.

Lean into the surprise. Instead of trying to over-plan and let structure encroach too much, roll with more surprises and impulses. Play things outside my safe genres, and let ideas outside the expected take roots in my work.
—Rebb Ford, Creative Director, Warframe at Digital Extremes

Next year, I want to focus on passion over resources. Ideas and implementation over pomp and circumstance. Immersion storytelling and not the next most widely palatable content. Risks over "what works.” As a streamer, highlighting and showcasing titles that may not have the ability to keep up with the big guys is something I'd like to help!
—Ben "CohhCarnage" Cassell, Streamer, Co-Founder of Mad Mushroom, and Executive Producer of Emberville

I think that my biggest New Year’s resolution is to try and keep things fun. There’s a commercial that says “Happy cows make good cheese.” And in a way, we’re all the creative milk cows of video game capitalism. If everyone is bummed out then the cheese is going to suffer. My belief is that real transformative successes in the future will come through fun, connection and authenticity, and it all starts with the teams making the work. Do whatever you can to keep the team interested and engaged, and the work will shine.
—Dan Maxwell, Creative Director for Core Games at 2K

Next year I want to schedule a proper vacation for myself at home where I can actually relax. When you run your own business it's on you to block time out, and for years I haven't done that.
—Derek Lieu, Game Trailer Director, Editor, and Capture Artist

Next year I resolve to let my inner kid rule and my inner critic take a back seat. As an actor it’s easy to get discouraged by the changes in the industry but when I remember WHY I want to create, I remember a wee Scottish lassie with big dreams. I will honor her more by having the courage to try new things, take creative risks, play, and most of all have fun!
—Elle Newlands, Voice Actor (Hogwarts Legacy, Diablo IV, Star Wars: The Old Republic)

In 2025, I want to focus on making content that highlights my love for storytelling and gaming. Whether it’s diving into powerful narratives, discovering cozy games I never thought I’d enjoy, or grinding through tough FPS challenges, I’m excited to share what makes gaming so special to me. As a voice actor, I also bring a unique perspective to the characters and worlds I explore—so every game feels like a deeper, more personal journey.
—Gabe Kunda, Voice Actor (Apex Legends, VALORANT, Diablo IV)

I want to think bigger and do whatever is "most awesome" rather than "most feasible in the allotted time." Practically, for me, this starts with writing better upfront documentation, so that we can build—and then extend—systems where more people understand how they work and what we are trying to achieve. After four years on Apex, I'm trying to learn how to be a force multiplier in 2025 rather than just an IC.
—Jordan Rapp, Lead Software Engineer on Apex Legends at Respawn Entertainment

I want to play more games I would never play or have been intimidated by. Just curious of what draws people to a certain game genre or IP instead of sticking to what I’m familiar with.
—Priscilla Tran, Senior Gameplay Producer at Elodie Games (an A16Z GAMES portfolio company)

• Take "expert" advice with a grain of salt
• Prioritize vertical growth over horizontal growth
• Keep a small inner circle, but cultivate a large orbit
—Tips Out, Founder of OTK Media, Mad Mushroom, and Mythic Talent

Founders of the Future

The next generation of gaming startup founders

Gavin Raeburn was previously studio director at Playground Games, the UK-based studio behind the critically acclaimed Forza Horizon series.

Continuing to grow our world class team, striving for excellence in everything we do and pushing the boundaries of what we can create. I’m excited to see the new heights we’ll reach over the coming year!
—Gavin Raeburn, Founder and CEO at Lighthouse Games

Last year, we were in the lab, cooking up the ambitious vision for Snapser, and now it's time to serve it to the world. This year? It's like getting on a treadmill—learn, fix, iterate, and try not to trip over our own feet!
—AJ Apte, Co-founder & CEO of Snapser (an A16Z GAMES portfolio company)

In 2025, I’m manifesting the “Year of the 3s”—Portal 3, Left 4 Dead 3, Half-Life 3, and KOTOR 3. Come on universe!
—Anthony Scott, Co-founder and COO/CFO at Giant Skull

Next year, I'll take more shots on goal, focus on the team, and ask for help when I need it—plus, I’ll finally tackle a game from a genre way out of my comfort zone. It's all about bringing back the fun and building a stronger, positive space for development and games that players love!
—Cody Germain, Co-founder & CEO of Bear Club Games

Help this industry understand that our best days are NOT behind us, that there is a future for AAA, and that layoffs don’t have to be the cycle.
—Greg Street, Founder and Studio Head at Fantastic Pixel Castle

Have fun, be brave, surround myself with excellent people. Stretch goals: take a day off, soak in a moment, play more games.
—Helen Burnill, Founder and CEO at CULT Games + Director at Neonhive

SPEEDRUNNERS

Alumni of A16Z SPEEDRUN, our Tech x Games startup program:

When you’re building in the AI x Games space, the AI side moves so fast it ends up taking almost all your attention. Next year, I want to make sure I take the time to appreciate both sides and stay focused on what’s truly important: creating tools that help craft better games.
—Jan Schnyder, Co-founder & CEO of Nunu.ai

Next year I will savour it each time we launch in a game, taking a moment to step back from the frenetic momentum of always hurtling toward the next challenge, and appreciate how far we have come!
—Kieran Donovan, Co-founder & CEO of K-ID

Next year, I want to explore how we can build closer, more meaningful connections 1:1, both in my personal life and with our players. Whether it’s through deep conversations with people or understanding our players, I believe they are the greatest mirrors of who we are and what we create. By approaching these relationships with curiosity, authenticity, and intention, we can unlock deeper understanding, creativity, and lasting impact.
—Rea Liu, Co-founder & CEO of Messengage

My resolution is to embrace the paradox of building for the future while finding joy in the present. As founders, we're constantly oriented toward some big future milestone, but it's so easy to forget that the real magic happens when we slow down enough to deeply appreciate the daily work of creation, the conversations with our team and partners, and those small moments of insight that light the way forward.
—Sean Vesce, Co-founder & CEO of Live Aware Labs

I want to think more about how we create meaningful connections with people that play our games, and not just yell into platforms that are no longer built to foster positive relationships. This stuff should be fun!!
—Korina Abbott, COO at CULT Games + Founder and CEO at Neonhive

I want to make something—anything—every single day. I want to not let perfectionism get in the way of staying in flow state.
—Peter Spradling, Founder and CEO at Beef Noodle Studios

Next year I'll pay more attention to our health. While we're lucky at Weirdloop to be a close-knit team with lots of contracts on our plate, it's been a rough year for everyone. Now that the cost-cutting environment is becoming chronic, staying financially and creatively afloat will mean listening to our bodies.
—Stéphane Rappeneau, CEO of Weirdloop and Indie-plaza

Indie Darlings

Independent makers of wild breakout hits and critically-acclaimed masterpieces

Kai Moore co-founded Wrong Organ, the creators of the breakout indie horror hit Mouthwashing

As a young studio, we’re incredibly thankful and humbled by the reception Mouthwashing received, but we’re just as excited to continue pushing our own boundaries. We love narrative, we love atmosphere, and we always want our games to have the Wrong Organ spirit of being surprising, weird, and experimental. Going into 2025, we want to prove we can create a gameplay-centric title while still staying true to the unique elements that make our games stand out. It’s thanks to our fans that we’re able to take risks like this and we can’t wait to show everyone what we’re cooking!
—Kai Moore, Executive Producer and Co-founder of Wrong Organ, creators of Mouthwashing

I'm not actually sure. After intense years of work on Tiny Glade and seeing it released, I'm in a state where I just want to experience, rather than shape. It is a transient and slightly melancholic feeling but I don't want to rush it. I want to continue making people smile and delighted, but take time to make myself delighted too. And trust my own process.
—Ana Opara, Co-founder of Pounce Light, creators of Tiny Glade

Next year, I want to return to a slower-paced development process, embracing the tranquility of not having to stress about finishing a game. For me, this means taking the time to think about the next project—the part of the process I love most—where everything comes to life: the art, the design, and beyond. No pressure from deadlines or milestones, just pure creativity. So, my resolution is to work towards a less-stressed, more joyful way of making games.
—Conrad Roset, Studio Creative Director at Nomada Studio, creators of NEVA

I have a Steam Curator page where I highlight small indie games I like (called "Derek Likes It"), but this year I didn't get to play as many as I wanted because of my work on UFO 50, among other things. So next year one of my resolutions is to play more weird and cool little games—it's fun and good for my soul!
—Derek Yu, Founder of Mossmouth, creators of UFO 50 and Spelunky

For us, 2025 will be a year of deep research into what expressive means a game can bring to the narrative genre. What tools can games offer a director that films or other forms of entertainment cannot? Narrative games are finding it more difficult to survive the crisis, and our duty is not to sacrifice them but rather to fight, search for new forms, and take risks.
—Dmitry Svetlow, Founder of Odd Meter and Creative Director on INDIKA

I'd like to spend more deliberate time each month reaching out to connect and thank past mentors who helped me in my career journey, and also pay it forward by spending more time with other folks in the industry to help them out—whether reviewing a pitch deck, product, or just to be a sounding board for them.
—Ian Fielding, Studio Head at Super Evil Megacorp, creators of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate

Unexpected success was such a miraculous thing to happen, but what's even harder is staying humble and keep focusing on what we are good at. I will keep eyes and ears open to hear the voice of the community and stay as close as possible.
—Jaeho Hwang, CEO & Executive Producer at MINTROCKET, creators of Dave the Diver

I aim to be become better at prioritizing away clutter to focus more on the important things, both in game development and life. I want to take more time for rest and my close relationships and share my love for game development more with my kids.
—Jonathan Smårs, Lead Engineer and Game Designer at Iron Gate Studios, creators of Valheim

Never has the gaming industry been more competitive, nor offered so much opportunity. 2025 is about adapting to this ever-evolving landscape. Our focus is on delivering novel experiences and leveraging emerging technologies like AI to craft innovative gameplay that stands out in a crowded market of high-quality releases. It’s back to indie basics—it’s time to get scrappy.
—Mark Laprairie, President and Co-founder, Channel 3 Entertainment, creators of FOUNDRY

I’m not going to assume things will be better out there tomorrow. More so than ever before I think we, and all companies, need to be considering all possible ways to protect our team, and continue to provide a stable, self-sustaining environment for them to live safely, plan for the future confidently, and foster a safe space to create their art in 2025 and beyond.
—Nick Popovich, Co-founder and CEO of Monomi Park, creators of Slime Rancher 2

2024 has been quite hectic with our Early Access release, and we weren't able to accomplish all of the goals we initially set out to achieve. Moving forward, one of our top priorities is to increase our community engagement through events like weekly challenges, developer livestreams, and various contests.
—Tobias Springer, Founder and CEO of tobspr Games, creators of Shapez 2

Next year I want to think less and just focus on finishing projects/ideas. I’ve noticed a pattern where I work on something for a couple of months, then abandon it because I doubt it’ll do well. But if this past year has proved anything it’s that the average gamer is way more open to weirder and smaller games than they have been in the past—so I’m just going to create all I can and see what happens.
—The Water Museum, Creator of Arctic Eggs

My 2025 resolution? Eat human flesh. Too often we are forced to choose between so-called “progress,” and the simple pleasure—sometimes called last resort—of rampant cannibalism. I’m touching grass. I’m savoring the little things: and by little things, I mean roughly one meat chunk from a dude named Roger. He doesn’t have to be named Roger, but that would be preferable.
—Xalavier Nelson Jr., Studio Head at Strange Scaffold, creators of I Am Your Beast and El Paso, Elsewhere [A16Z GAMES Editor’s Note: He is like this all the time]

Legendary Community Leads

Best-in-class communicators who lead by example to build a better games industry

Carolin Wendt leads community for EMEA and APAC territories on both the Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher franchises

Next year, I want to spend more time highlighting the great things others are doing. This year, I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of inspiring people—both industry veterans and newcomers alike, and I want to find a way to share that awesome feeling of learning and connection with others. On a personal note, I want to learn as much as possible about leadership in creative spaces as I can, be it through books, shows or talks. That's the journey I've been on for the last two years and there's so much left to learn. (And I'll happily take recommendations.)
—Carolin Wendt, Lead International Community at CD PROJEKT RED

I am deeply curious about how much we can achieve by stripping back the layers and create true human connections between games, developers, and their communities. This year I'm planning to dig deep on how we deliver a connected experience to players that goes further than just "fostering engagement." There's a new frontier in community development and I want to have a hand in shaping it.
—Bex, Community at [Unannounced]. Formerly: Principal Global Community Strategist at Riot Games

For a long time, our communications have reflected the silos that previously existed in the company, with each game, esport, and project adopting its own style, voice, and approach. At its worst, this created inconsistency—or even conflicting messages—in what, where, and how we communicated. In 2025, our resolution is to break down those walls and embrace comms that reflects the connected Riot ecosystem—bringing the game, the community, the esport, and everything around the games together.
—Joe Hixson, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Riot Games

Next year, I want to focus on tuning out much of the noise that distracted us this year and concentrate more on what our players truly want. I also want to leverage Palworld’s success to support other developers who are struggling. Our industry is in a weird place, and I want to help out wherever I can.
—John "Bucky" Buckley, Global Community Manager at Pocketpair, creators of Palworld

My gaming resolution is to play more games with my kid! He’s eight, and been gaming a good amount since he could hold a controller, but I’ve found that playing with my kid isn’t just fun (I helped make a co-op partner!!!), but helpful as a marketer. Seeing how someone wholly outside of the industry experiences gaming is a unique, invaluable insight into a world it’s easy to overlook.
—Jonathan Hollander Cooper, Social Media Marketing at Apple

I intend to ask for help more often. I've simply met too many talented, kind people in this industry since starting Wholesome Games to continue assuming that I know best or that I shouldn't burden others by asking questions or seeking advice. I'll let anyone reading this decide whether it's a good or bad thing that this struggle applies not just to games and not just to work, but to all aspects of growth both personally and professionally.
—Matthew Taylor, Founder of Wholesome Games

Be less inspired by “best practices” or “trends” and be more inspired by whatever chaos demon possesses me.
—Victoria Tran, Director of Communications at Innersloth & Co-signer of Games at Outersloth

Marketing Mavens

Premier publishers, brand bravuras, and knowers of niches

Arturo Castro led the launches of Titanfall, Titanfall 2, and Apex Legends

For 2025, I want to rediscover why I work in games to begin with. I also want to seek out projects and opportunities that leverage my skill set and stretch it beyond what I’ve done in the past. The games industry is changing and I want to change with it.
—Arturo Castro, Veteran Marketing Leader (Dreamhaven, Respawn, DICE, Riot Games)

In 2025, Big Fan Games plans to double down on our belief that great adaptations come from great partnerships. Whether it’s amplifying the voices of indie devs or spotlighting iconic IPs, we’ll strive to bring passion and playfulness to everything we publish. At Big Fan Games, our 2025 resolution is to celebrate fandom in all its forms by creating adaptations that feel fresh, authentic, and wildly fun. This means taking risks, listening to our creative partners, and always putting passion first. Here’s to a year of daring projects and celebrating everyone’s wins.
—Amanda Kruse, Head of Business Development at Big Fan Games

This year, I’ve felt fortunate to work with incredibly talented colleagues and to have stability, even amid a tough macro environment for our industry. As we move into next year, my goal is to channel that stability and to do my part to shift the energy by playing more offense than defense. That means being more proactive and taking thoughtful risks with the mindset of thriving, not just surviving, all while helping others do the same.
—Andrew Wong, Head of Marketing at Play by Play Studios

This past year was marked by some big shifts—new team, new game, new role—so next year I really want to slow down and dig in. Put down roots, grow my community, invest in my team, focus on my growth. I love a colorful metaphor, so we're going with it... 2025 is a planting year!
—Jess Frucht, Director, Global Digital Marketing at 2K

I live in a country (Norway) where you can reasonably land funding for a new game or studio, but too often the devs are unprepared for the bizdev and marketing knowledge needed to succeed. Next year I want to play a more active role in empowering devs with the knowledge they need to thrive.
—Jordan Brown, Marketing & Community Manager at Breach VR

I'd like to stay better connected to what I value—it's easy to become so focused on the work of what you're creating that you forget to engage with play. For me, making games is about curiosity and joy, so next year I want to make more time to connect with other developers, play more games made by other developers, and share that joy more often.
—Meredith Hall, Business Development & Marketing Director at Summerfall Studios

I have two resolutions for 2025: Play more games and be bolder. Creativity is thriving throughout the industry, and I want to enjoy and absorb more of that energy and have it help propel my work to push the envelope.
—Xav de Matos, PR Director, Call of Duty at Activision

Titans of Industry

Heavy hitters and longtime leads who continue to level up the game

Ryan Cooper has been a leader at Microsoft for over 22 years, with experience on gaming franchises including Halo, Gears of War, Forza, and Minecraft.

2025 will be a big year for the Minecraft franchise. With a movie coming in April, we will reach millions of new players and inspire creators across our ecosystem. Next year, I'd like to connect with more technology innovators to explore new ways of building content. I'd also like to partner with more creators to help bring their creations to Minecraft so that they can grow their business...in a safe and secure way.
—Ryan Cooper, General Manager and Head of Minecraft

Next year I want to focus on operational excellence. No fancy strategy, just focus on what we know how to do, and do it better!
—Alexandre Pelletier-Normand, CEO of Rovio

It's been a chaotic few years in our industry, and that is going to cause a shortage of content. 2025 will be about embracing the chaos and moving fast to fill those gaps when opportunities arise. Encouraging devs to build, baby build while remembering that everything is better with IP!
—Barry Dorf, Vice President of Interactive Global Licensing and Business Development at Hasbro

I resolve to find more time for the joy of play: not for research, not for feedback or critique, just for fun.
—Catharina Lavers Mallet, SVP / GM of Core Games at 2K

My hope for 2025 is less questioning, overanalyzing, and uncertainty and more a concerted focus on the fundamentals. Running a sound business and building pure joyful games for players should occupy the majority of our attention. While there are no guarantees, success usually follows if you can do the big things right.
—Executive of a Strategy Game Studio (Anonymous)

In 2025 I’d like to keep working towards making myself redundant in the day-to-day business of Brawl Stars, to allow myself to look further and further down the road and ultimately be able to focus on the things that are really important for me, like building the best environment for the creative minds that are the Brawl team for example. Also, my gaming backlog is in a sad state of affairs… will 2025 be the year where I catch up?!
—Frank Keienburg, General Manager, Brawl Stars at Supercell

I want to spend more time thinking deeply about applications for AI in game design. I've always been motivated by technology that enables entirely new experiences for players, and AI promises to be one of the biggest revolutions we've seen yet.
—Jack Buser, Director for Games, Strategic Industries at Google Cloud

Next year I want to spend more time sharing with, and learning from, other devs across the industry. Too often we get caught up in our little silos, working on our own projects, and lose sight of the broader community that we're all a part of. In short, I want to be less of a game development hermit!
—Jared Neuss, Executive Producer & VP of Overwatch 2 at Blizzard Entertainment

I spent 2024 changing how I run Discord so I have more free time. Now in 2025 I’m looking forward to spending that free time following my curiosity.
—Jason Citron, Founder and CEO of Discord

In 2025, I am going to embrace learning more about what audiences love outside of the games they play. We can only build the best creative community in the world if we understand how other entertainment deeply engages and gratifies their fan base. (Outer Banks and Divine Rivals, here I come!)
—Jen MacLean, Co-Founder and CEO of a stealth mode startup / Formerly GM of Game Publisher and Developer Partnerships at Xbox

It can be hard to maintain a consistent dialog with players along with running the business. Next year, I want to communicate with our community on Discord on a more regular basis.
—John Welch, CEO of Making Fun

Next year, I want to get back to the space where we're focused on the right things. Making simple, unexpected games that are fun as hell. Putting players and gameplay first, because at the end of the day, that’s everything.
—Josh Watson, Veteran AAA Game Director (Epic Games, Psyonix)

Next year I plan to not release a single game or game expansion publicly for consumer consumption. After Alan Wake 2 in 2023, then Night Springs and The Lake House in 2024, I'm all released out. I'll be spending 2025 being creative and non-productive like all good directors should be every now and then!
—Kyle Rowley, Game Director, Remedy

Next year will be a return to growth for the industry. We will discover more great games and be introduced to a new generation of players who will surprise us through extensive multi-device play and energized gaming communities.
—Leo Olebe, Vice President Global Partnerships at Xbox

Next year, we're intending to do even more than we did this year for Dead by Daylight. I feel 2025 will be the year of Horror. As Dead by Daylight is bigger than ever and on its way to its 10th anniversary, we're intending to find new and exciting ways to make our players scared, to keep them looking over their shoulder. Expect more collaborations, bigger partnerships and some really intense surprises!
—Mathieu Côté, Game Director on Dead by Daylight and Head of Partnerships at Behaviour Interactive

I am looking forward to seeing emerging technologies applied inside games to create new and even more immersive experience for players, new business models, and a new era of growth for the industry.
—Rob Schonfeld, Executive in Residence at Boston Consulting Group / Former Global Revenue Officer at Activision Blizzard

🎁 Investing in Backflip

We're excited to announce our investment in Backflip, a team building a 3D AI foundational model that promises to revolutionize how we design, simulate, and construct the world around us. See the full announcement here.

🤖 The AI x Game Dev Survey 2024

Our own Troy Kirwin conducted a survey of 650+ game devs to learn more about their AI usage habits. The results—including a wide gulf between the perspectives of executives and artists—were extremely interesting. See the details in this X thread.

🌻 Loftia Blooms in New Trailer and Steam Page Launch

The A16Z GAMES-backed Qloud Games are turning heads and earning wishlists (over 30,000 so far!) with a new trailer and the official launch of the Steam page for Loftia. The Qloud team describes the game as “a cozy, multiplayer world where you can build towards a brighter, more sustainable future.”

💼 Jobs Jobs Jobs

There are currently over 100 open jobs listings across both the A16Z GAMES portfolio and our SPEEDRUN portfolio. For the freshest games industry jobs postings, be sure to follow our own Caitlin Cooke and Jordan Mazer on LinkedIn.

Join our talent network for more opportunities. If we see a fit for you, we'll intro you to relevant founders in the portfolio.

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