Yuga Labs, a Miami-based Web3 leader, has announced that Mike Seavers, the former Executive Vice President of Development at Epic Games, will join the company as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) on May 22. Seavers will take over from current CTO and Co-Founder Kerem Atalay, who will remain with the company as a strategic advisor.
Seavers has over two decades of experience as a technology and product leader, having led the development teams behind Unreal Engine, Fortnite, and the Epic Games Store during his tenure at Epic Games. He was also the Chief Technology Officer of Riot Games, where he supported the development of games such as League of Legends and Valorant. Seavers has experience beyond the gaming industry, having worked with several Fortune 500 companies in the past.
“There have been rare moments over my career where I felt like a new technology was creating a true paradigm shift for the world,” said Seavers. “I recognize that web3 is one of those moments, and I am absolutely thrilled to join Yuga Labs to help usher in a new era of the internet that impacts the world for the better.”
Yuga Labs CEO Daniel Alegre expressed his excitement about Seavers’ appointment, stating that his experience and expertise will help the company scale and achieve its vision of being the Web3 platform at the forefront of community and social engagement, through media and entertainment. Alegre also acknowledged Atalay’s contributions to the company and expressed delight that he will continue to be involved as a strategic advisor.
In his statement, Seavers expressed his belief in the potential of Web3 to create a paradigm shift for the world and stated that he is thrilled to join Yuga Labs to help usher in a new era of the internet that impacts the world for the better.
Yuga Labs has been shaping the future of Web3 through storytelling, experiences, and community, reinventing what real-world utility for NFTs looks like and pushing the space forward as a whole. Yuga Labs made headlines as one of the first companies to release IP licenses to their NFT holders, acquired and released rights to other top collections such as CryptoPunks and Meebits, and made Web3 history with record-breaking synchronized player participation in their newest initiative, Otherside. Yuga Labs raised a $450M seed round at a $4B valuation in March 2022.
Mike Seavers Experience in Gaming
Mike Seavers’ appointment as the new CTO at Yuga Labs is a significant development not just for the company, but also for the gaming industry and the Web3 space as a whole. Seavers has a proven track record of developing innovative platforms for some of the world’s top gaming companies and has led the development of several highly successful games. His expertise will be invaluable in developing and scaling Yuga Labs’ gaming and metaverse initiatives, such as Otherside and Bored Ape Yacht Club, and advancing the real-world utility of NFTs in Web3. This move by Yuga Labs underscores the increasing importance of gaming and entertainment in the Web3 space and highlights the potential of NFTs and blockchain technology to create new and exciting ways for people to interact and engage with media and entertainment.