Former Reddit CPO Maria Angelidou-Smith Appointed New CEO of Minecraft Developer Mojang

Microsoft Xbox has announced the appointment of Maria Angelidou-Smith, formerly Chief Product Officer at Reddit, as the new CEO of Minecraft developer Mojang. Angelidou-Smith will assume her duties on October 19, reporting directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, succeeding Kayleen Walters.

According to Microsoft, the appointment aims to bring in a leader with experience in managing products for large communities and a strong technical background. "Mojang already has an excellent development team that deeply understands Minecraft and its players," stated Asha Sharma in an internal memo. Sharma emphasized that Angelidou-Smith's initial focus will be on learning from the development team and community to understand the game's appeal.

Angelidou-Smith's prior professional experience has largely concentrated on product operations for social platforms, rather than game development. This has led some players to express concerns regarding potential future strategic directions for Minecraft.

Despite these concerns, Minecraft maintains a substantial player base. The game reportedly attracts over 300,000 new players daily, with cumulative global sales exceeding 425 million units.