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Evolution Exchange Gaming Podcast
Evo Gaming #449 - How To Create Proactive Teams
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Today's episode is hosted by William Thompson and they are joined on the podcast by Robert Graff, Lead Game Designer at Toca Boca, Anna Gvadzabiia, Head Of Creatives at Homa and Risto D. Holmström, Studio Lead at Kuuasema. The conversation explores proactive teams and the practices that help game studios build stronger collaboration, encourage ownership and improve communication across creative and development teams. The discussion looks at leadership approaches, studio culture and decision-making that support sustainable growth while helping teams adapt to changing priorities and industry demands. The exchange also highlights how creative leadership, game design processes and effective teamwork contribute to better project outcomes. Broader themes including collaboration, workplace productivity, innovation and team development are explored, offering valuable perspectives for professionals across the games industry. Whether working in indie studios or larger organisations, listeners will gain insight into building proactive teams that foster accountability, creativity and long-term success.
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Evo Gaming #455 - How To Scale Teams
47:23|Today's episode is hosted by William Thompson and they are joined on the podcast by Yurii Liapin, Head of Delivery at Plummy Games, Igor Kaliuzhnyi, Art Director at ThunderSpin and Vardis Vardinogiannis, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Couch Heroes. The conversation explores scaling teams in game development, focusing on growth strategies, team structures and the challenges of managing creative and technical talent. The exchange highlights how organisations adapt their workflows while maintaining quality and efficiency. The discussion also covers leadership approaches, studio expansion and the importance of strong collaboration across gaming projects. Listeners will gain insight into how team scaling supports sustainable growth, innovation and long-term success within the gaming industry.
Evo Gaming #454 - Managing Art
01:12:48|Today's episode is hosted by Harvey Anderson and they are joined on the podcast by Kateryna Karmazina, Art Manager at Wargaming Group Ltd, Leslie Spink, Art Manager at Play'n GO, Igor Kotsarev Art Manager and Yasha Kruk, Art Manager at Meta. The conversation explores art management in game development, focusing on creative workflows, team coordination and the processes behind delivering engaging visual experiences. The exchange highlights how art teams balance creativity, technical requirements and production goals within modern gaming projects. The discussion also covers game art direction, visual design strategies and the evolving role of creative leadership across the industry. Listeners will gain insight into how art management supports collaboration, innovation and successful game production.
Evo Gaming #453 - What Level Of Fidelity Do Games Really Need
55:45|Today's episode is hosted by Jamie Manton and they are joined on the podcast by Joen Bille, Art Director at ELK Studios, Oliver K/BIDI, Head of Art Development at Light & Wonder and Ricardo Viana, Creative Manager at Yggdrasil Gaming. The conversation explores game fidelity, examining how visual quality, artistic choices and technical capabilities influence modern game development. The exchange highlights the balance between creating engaging experiences and delivering visuals that meet player expectations. The discussion also covers game art direction, creative workflows and the role of technology in shaping interactive entertainment. Listeners will gain insight into how game fidelity connects with design decisions, production goals and the evolving standards of the gaming industry.
Evo Gaming #452 - Leadership In Game Development
01:02:11|Today's episode is hosted by Jamie Manton and they are joined on the podcast by Alyona Potapenko, Senior Software Engineer at YOOZOO Games, Connor Ledwidge, CEO at Leadwitch Studios, Daniel Collado, Lead Gameplay Programmer at Ubisoft Barcelona and Douglas Barbara, Engineering Lead at Xroam. The conversation explores leadership in game development, examining how teams navigate technical challenges, creative direction and the changing demands of the gaming industry. The exchange highlights the importance of collaboration, communication and effective management within game studios. The discussion also covers software engineering practices, gameplay programming and strategies for building successful development teams. Listeners will discover how leadership in game development connects with innovation, project delivery and the future of interactive entertainment.
Evo Gaming #451 - Challenges Of Code Design In Game Development
01:01:23|Today's episode is hosted by Jamie Manton and they are joined on the podcast by Stepan Melnyk, Unity Frontend Lead at Funrock, Muhammad Ali Mustafa, Lead Programmer at Kwalee, Bohdan Nevmerzhytskyi, Chief Technology Officer at Rocky Road Inc. and Stefano Gandolfo, Ex Lead Developer at Drest. The conversation explores code design in game development, focusing on the technical challenges, creative processes and engineering considerations involved in building modern gaming experiences. The exchange highlights how developers approach programming workflows, collaboration and scalable solutions across different stages of game production. The discussion also covers broader themes around game technology, software architecture and the evolving demands placed on development teams. Listeners will gain insight into how code design in game development connects with innovation, performance and long-term project success.
Evo Gaming #450 - The Art Of Communication
51:00|Today's episode is hosted by William Thompson and they are joined on the podcast by Johan Sonestedt, Owner at Cinematic, Giorgia Arena, Art Director at Metacore and Anastasiya Kara, Lead Product Manager at Rovio. The conversation explores communication within the games industry and examines how clear collaboration, creative leadership and effective teamwork contribute to successful game development. The exchange highlights different professional perspectives across production, art direction and studio leadership while discussing the importance of building strong relationships and aligning creative vision throughout development. Listeners can expect a broad discussion covering collaboration, leadership, creative processes and the practical skills that help teams work effectively in modern game studios. The episode also touches on how communication supports decision-making, project delivery and cross-disciplinary collaboration, offering valuable insights for professionals interested in game production, studio culture and the wider video games industry.
Evo Gaming #448 - Making Great UA Creative In 2026 - Talent, AI & Testing At Scale
01:14:31|Today's episode is hosted by Elliot Tripp and they are joined on the podcast by Aleksandr Dadaev, Creative Producer at Rovio, George Tsomaev, Founder at GRIND Agency, Anton Neznamov, Marketing Creatives Director at Madbox. The conversation explores UA creative strategies, user acquisition and how AI in gaming is transforming the way teams approach creative development, testing and optimisation. The exchange highlights modern approaches to producing engaging marketing assets while adapting to the fast-changing mobile gaming landscape. Listeners will discover insights into creative workflows, scalable testing methods and performance marketing trends shaping the future of game promotion. The discussion also examines how AI in gaming supports new opportunities for efficiency, experimentation and growth across the gaming industry.
Evo Gaming #447 - AI Within Gaming
49:50|Today's episode is hosted by Elijah Jenkins and they are joined on the podcast by Chris Hong, CEO at CosmoUniverse, Markus Hjort, Chief Technology Officer at Bitmagic, Arsham Soltani, Chief Technology Officer at Taru Tech. The conversation explores AI within gaming and how emerging technologies are influencing game development, player experiences and the wider digital entertainment landscape. The exchange highlights innovation across gaming platforms, creative tools and the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and interactive experiences. Listeners will gain insights into technology trends shaping the future of games, including automation, advanced development approaches and new opportunities for creators and businesses. The discussion also examines how AI within gaming is becoming an important area for industry growth, transformation and experimentation.