Mojang is changing how it handles one of the world's most popular games by bringing in a leader from outside the traditional game development world. This shift matters because Maria Angelidou-Smith will steer the strategy for a title that pulls in more than 300,000 new players every single day. Xbox wants someone who understands how to manage massive online communities and monetize them effectively rather than just someone who knows how to code the game itself.
Former Reddit CPO Maria Angelidou-Smith takes over Mojang leadership
Angelidou-Smith takes over as the new chief executive officer of Mojang on October 19. She comes to the studio after serving as the Chief Product Officer at Reddit and holding previous roles at Facebook. Her background focuses heavily on building digital products that serve huge global audiences rather than traditional console or PC game development.
The new CEO reports directly to Asha Sharma, who serves as the CEO of Xbox. Sharma explained that the company looked for a leader who could connect creators, product teams, and technology with monetization strategies. Angelidou-Smith stated that her first priority will be to learn from the existing teams and the player communities that make the game special.
She replaces Kayleen Walters, who has led the studio since February 2025. Walters is moving into a newly created position as the president of Xbox XP. This internal restructuring keeps leadership within the broader Xbox family while bringing in fresh external perspective for the Minecraft studio.
Source: TweakTown
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