WAGMI appoints EA veterans to leadership roles | Pocket Gamer.biz

WAGMI Games has unveiled several key appointments as part of its quest to transform web3 entertainment.

The company has been seeking top talent from established game makers whose skills will transfer into the world of web3. Chief among these new hires is former EA and Respawn Entertainment senior project manager Esteban Gil [left in pic]. In his new role, Gil will oversee business strategy development, with a focus on consumer-oriented products.

“I’m excited to apply the skills and experience I’ve gained from the mobile space to the world of web3 and NFT technology,” said Gil. “I believe that these technologies have the potential to revolutionise the gaming industry, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that journey. By leveraging these cutting-edge technologies, we can deliver even more engaging and immersive gaming experiences to our fans around the world.”

The rise of web3

Additionally, WAGMI has appointed former EA director of operations Brent Pease to the joint role of COO and general manager. In his new position, Pease will oversee operations with a focus on implementing growth strategies. Prior to his role at EA, Pease also founded Industrial Toys – a company which EA eventually acquired.

“’I am honoured to have been asked to bring my 30 years of experience in building games and companies to this incredible team of passionate creators,” said Pease. “This is the most exciting vision for players I have seen and I look forward to making amazing games at WAGMI that thrill our ever-growing community.”

WAGMI’s first project is WAGMI Defense, a fast-paced, three minute game loop tower defence mobile app in which all playable game assets are owned by the player with marketplaces such as GamestopNFT allowing players to trade their in game assets.

WAGMI aims to drive the adoption of web3, which currently attracts just 3% of the three billion gamers worldwide. The company believes that through lowering the sector’s entry barriers, including crypto wallet requirements. By doing this, the company is confident that it can create engaging web3 games which are mass market ready.

“To have AAA talent like Brent and Estaban join our team is a real testament to what we are building,” said WAGMI CEO Ian Bentley. “They see clearly not only our vision as a franchise, but also this once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of history in evolving the gaming space.”

We listed EA as one of the top 50 mobile game makers of 2022. We’ll be unveiling our list for 2023 at Gamescom on August 22.