The video game industry is going through a hard reset. Every week almost certainly comes with news on layoffs, studio closures, studio creation, or executive reshuffling. This time it is Skybound Games that has announced that former Activision Blizzard executive Chris Paulson will be joining the company as executive vice president and general manager of games publishing.
“I am humbled and excited to join a company with such a rich history of creating fandom through compelling storytelling and world creation,” Paulson said in a statement about his new role. “Skybound’s legacy speaks for itself, and I can’t wait to collaborate with our talented development teams and build the publishing team to bring incredibly fun gaming experiences in those worlds to millions of fans.”
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“I’m especially excited about the secret project the team has already been working on; I can’t wait to help bring this exceptional game to the world!”
Paulson is tasked with leading Skybound Games’ commercial strategy for the successful marketing of its slew of games. In the Monday, March 18, 2024, announcement, Skybound Games revealed that Paulson’s hiring was linked to a new “secret project”.
According to Skybound, Paulson will lead the commercial launch of the secret title, “which has been developing in stealth mode since last year”. Electronic Arts executive Jeff Chaiken is also fingered to join Skybound Games as senior vice president of corporate development and strategy.
Before joining Skybound Games, Paulson spent about a decade at Activision Blizzard and most recently served as the vice president of product management for the Diablo franchise. He oversaw the launch of Diablo IV, Diablo Immortal, and World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.
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“With Chris’ remarkable track record in launching successful games, his strong leadership abilities, and his strategic approach to publishing, we are confident that he will elevate our iconic Skybound IP, delivering an exceptional experience to not only our fans, but entirely new audiences, in our new venture,” said Skybound CEO David Alpert in a welcome message.
Skybound Games’ high-profile collaborations
Skybound Games has several high-profile collaborations under its belt. The latest was the launch of Invincible Universe: Doc Seismic Attacks, a custom-built raid for Fortnite, launched on March 15. The free-to-play mode accommodates up to six players and allows players to dive into battles as Cecil Stedman’s Elite GDA Agents.
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The brand-new game mode features iconic characters from the Invincible series streaming on Amazon Prime. In the Fortnite collaboration, players are expected to lead the band of superheroes against Doc Seismic’s attack on the city.
Players must weave through various waves of enemy attack to get to Doc Seismic Boss Fight. The PvE (player versus environment) custom raid mode was built solely in Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN).
Drop your phone and get to work, agents. Doc Seismic and his lava fiends have arrived in Fortnite and only you can stop him.
Use Island Code 3557-7311-4157 to join the fight. pic.twitter.com/XsO9PpGItR
— INVINCIBLE (@InvincibleHQ) March 15, 2024
To find and play Invincible Universe: Doc Seismic Attacks in Fortnite, visit the in-game menu. Locate the search icon on the top left corner of the main Fortnite Battle Royale lobby. You will get a prompt to key in the map’s code which is 3557-7311-4157. After that click ‘Confirm’ to begin.
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Skybound Games has a library of more than 150 properties. Since 2010, it has been the home of Invincible and The Walking Dead. The company also manages the physical distribution of various indie games including Boneloaf’s Gang Beasts, Psychonauts 2, and Cuphead.
Skybound Games creators leverage Kickstarter campaigns for some of its graphic novels. In 2021, the studio launched the Ava’s Demon: Reborn Kickstarter campaign which helped it to raise over $530,000 in backer pledges. To date, their comic campaigns have realized over $1.3 million in backer pledges.
