As first reported by Variety, Activision Blizzard veteran Chris Paulson is joining Skybound Games as executive vice president.
Paulson will also head games publishing as General Manager, and “lead commercial strategy and go-to-market efforts”.
Skybound also announced a new “secret project” today. Paulson will lead its launch, and it turns out the project “has been developing in stealth mode since last year”.
The publisher did not confirm any further details on the project. However, since development has been in the works for so long, more announcements could be on the way soon.
Skybound Games is a division of Skybound Entertainment, which was founded by David Alpert and The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.
Fans will likely recognize Skybound Games as the publisher behind Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, based on the hit animated series. Skybound also recently released Invincible Universe: Doc Seismic Attacks, a new custom raid in Fortnite.
Chris Paulson previously handled product management for the Diablo series. Although Diablo IV received some mixed reviews, the game is getting an RTX upgrade next week.
Paulson issued an official statement after joining the team:
“I am humbled and excited to join a company with such a rich history of creating fandom through compelling storytelling and world creation.”
Earlier on, Paulson worked at Activision Blizzard as Chief of Staff to CEO Bobby Kotick. Microsoft announced Kotick’s departure in December 2023.
Fans frequently criticized Kotick’s work at the company. Last week, Kotick announced interest in purchasing TikTok alongside “a table of people that included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman”.
Paulson’s track record signals a strong run as executive VP at Skybound Games.
Other Activision veterans recently formed the brand-new studio Emptyvessel. It’s a AAA studio with Emanuel Palalic as CEO, with “a specialty in the immersive shooter space”.
For more of the latest Insider Gaming news, you can read about indie hit Balatro reaching 1 million copies sold in its first month after launch.
