Microsoft Gaming’s Kayleen Walters Takes Over as New Head of Minecraft Developer Mojang

by
William D’Angelo
, posted 1 hour ago / 173 Views

The head of the studio at Mojang Studios Åsa Bredin is stepping down, according to Microsoft in a statement sent to Variety.

Bredin joined Mojang Studios in 2021 and was promoted in 2023 as the head of the studio. She is stepping down “to focus on personal goals outside of work.”

Microsoft Gaming’s vice president and head of franchise development Kayleen Walters is taking over as the new head of studio at Mojang Studios immediately. Bredin will remain on at Mojang until the end of February to help with the transition.

Walters will remain the vice president and head of franchise development as she takes on the new role as head of Mojang. Federico San Martin will report directly to Walters as they take on the day-to-day management of franchise development.

Walters will be based in Redmond, Washington and travel to Mojang in Stockholm, Sweden often. She will report to Microsoft game content and studios chief operating officer Helen Chiang.

Microsoft game content and studios chief operating officer Helen Chiang sent an internal memo to staff, which can be read below:

I want to share an important leadership update at Mojang Studios. As a global team, strong leadership is essential in shaping our vision and driving our collective success.

Today, I’d like to share that Åsa Bredin has decided to step down from her role as Head of Mojang Studios to focus on personal goals outside of work. Åsa has been a vital part of our team and I am deeply grateful for the positive impact and contributions since has made since joining in 2021. While I, along with the entire Microsoft Gaming leadership will miss Åsa in this role, I fully support her decision and wish her all the best as she embarks on this next chapter.

With Åsa’s departure, I am pleased to share that Kayleen Walters will step in as Head of Mojang Studios, effective immediately. Kayleen has been an integral part of Mojang Studios since 2018, leading our Franchise Development team and more recently, expanding her focus across the Game Content & Studios (GCS) organization. In her new role, Kayleen will continue to drive Mojang Studios’ growth while maintaining oversight of Franchise Development. Federico San Martin will now manage the day-to-day operations of Franchise Development within GCS Operations, reporting directly to Kayleen to ensure a smooth transition.

A strong One Team mindset across Stockholm and Redmond is critical to the success of Mojang Studios and the Minecraft Franchise. Kayleen will lead Mojang Studios in close partnership with our Global Leadership Team which includes Annie Chenn, Jens Bergensten, Ryan Cooper, Ada Duan, Scott Dell’Osso, Emma Brandt, and key partners across Marketing, PR, Human Resource, and CELA partners: Jeanie DuMont, Addie Coronado, Natalie Graham, and Nick Morgan.

I am also pleased to announce that Amy Stillion will be taking on an expanded role as Chief of Staff, supporting both GCS Operations and Mojang Studios. In this capacity, she will also lead Mojang’s Redmond People Experience team and join the Mojang Studios leadership team.

Change is never easy, but I have full confidence in this team and its ability to deliver incredible experiences for our players and community. With strong leadership in place and a clear vision for the future, we are well-positioned to tackle the challenges we face in the marketplace with speed and momentum.

Kayleen and the leadership team will be hosting Open Forums to answer your questions – please look out for those invitations.

Thank you for your continued dedication to Mojang Studios and the Minecraft community. Please join me in celebrating Åsa’s contributions and wishing her well in her next chapter, and congratulating Kayleen as she steps into this new role.

Helen

A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Bluesky.

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