Welcome to the 26th issue of Talent Play Zone!

I’m Matteo, gaming recruiter and the voice behind this newsletter. In Issue 24, I promised a two-part series: first, fast growth. Next, a deep dive with a design leader. Issue 25 told Nick’s path to sustainable growth while building an indie studio. Today, we deliver the second part of that promise. This is the story of a design leader whose career spans years in one of the world’s most structured AAA environments and now shaping ambitious projects at People Can Fly.

Today we spotlight Philippe Baude, a veteran in game design with more than 25 years of career. He spent over a decade at Ubisoft, working on titles such as Skull and Bones, Watch Dogs, Hyper Scape and Ubisoft Club. He also contributed at A2M/Behaviour, where he explored the flexibility of smaller teams and worked on projects like Wet. Since 2021, he has been at People Can Fly, guiding AI, Progression, Sandbox and Game Loop teams on bold action-driven projects.

Philippe’s path shows how a designer can grow from owning individual features to directing design across whole systems and teams, blending structure with creativity and turning vision into leadership.

• What design leadership really looks like on major productions• How to move from owning a feature to directing a vision• Why clarity, mentorship, and cross-discipline communication change everything• How to keep your learning curve steep after your first big steps• What you can apply this week to sustain your own growth

Philippe’s route is patient and layered. He began his career in 2000 at Cryo Networks, working on Dune Generations, an ambitious PC project inspired by Frank Herbert’s legendary universe. That early experience grounded him in the challenge of designing complex worlds and systems.

In 2005 he joined Ubisoft Montréal, spending two years learning the craft of level and systems design. From 2007 to 2009 he was at A2M/Behaviour, exploring smaller teams, different pipelines, and contributing to projects like Wet. In 2009 he returned to Ubisoft Montréal, where over the next 12 years he contributed to major franchises such as Far Cry, Watch Dogs, Skull and Bones and Hyper Scape, mastering AAA pipelines, systemic gameplay, player progression and large-scale online experiences. Those years gave him a deep understanding of how to align multiple disciplines and ship at global scale.

Since 2021 he has been at People Can Fly as Game Design Director, guiding AI, Progression, Sandbox and Game Loop teams on ambitious action-driven projects with global reach. Across these shifts he has moved from crafting individual features to directing design across multiple teams, living the differences between massive pipelines, mid-sized flexibility and high-stakes development. This mix of cultures and responsibilities has forged a design leader who blends structure with creativity and vision with mentorship.

Inside the Making of a Design Leader

You have worked at a wide range of studios (Ubisoft, A2M/Behaviour, People Can Fly) on very different types of games. What drove your career moves between these companies, and what did you learn from experiencing such different cultures and processes?Philippe: What drove my career moves was the opportunity to keep learning and challenging myself with different types of games. At Ubisoft, I built a strong foundation in AAA production and the importance of structure and pipelines. At A2M/Behaviour, I discovered the creativity and flexibility of smaller teams. At People Can Fly, I stepped into larger leadership responsibilities on action-driven projects. Each culture taught me something unique: from discipline and scalability to creative flexibility, and I carry those lessons forward into every role. Beyond that, there’s always the human factor: working with new people who bring fresh perspectives, teach you new approaches, and open your mind to different processes.

Philippe’s tip: Every studio teaches a different lesson. Take them with you, and your toolkit grows far beyond a single role or company.

Looking back, what were the biggest turning points or skill shifts that helped you grow from Senior/Lead Game Designer roles into Game Design Director?Philippe: The key turning points came when I shifted from focusing only on “my feature” to seeing the bigger picture: how systems interact, and how everything ties back to the player experience. Learning to communicate design clearly across disciplines was essential. Just as important was developing soft skills like mentoring and conflict resolution, which helped me move from “crafting systems” to “leading people.”

As a Director, you need to constantly shift between micro and macro: keeping the big picture in sight, aligning the team with the Creative Director’s vision, and making sure everyone feels empowered. I believe strongly in giving designers true ownership of their systems so they can deliver their best work. And finally, I strive to be a very hands-on leader: not just pointing out problems, but jumping in with the team to help find and shape solutions.

Philippe’s tip: Leadership is not about titles. It is about learning to connect dots across systems and people while keeping the player at the center.

At People Can Fly you are managing designers across AI, Progression, Sandbox and Game Loop. How do you translate a high-level vision into actionable goals for your team, and what’s your approach to mentoring designers?Philippe: I translate vision into goals by breaking it down into clear priorities: What is the player’s journey? What emotions do we want to create? Which systems support that experience? From there, each designer gets ownership of a piece of the puzzle, with a clear understanding of why their work matters to the whole.

In mentoring, I focus on building confidence: encouraging experimentation, giving constructive feedback, and helping designers balance creativity with production realities. As a Director, I also believe it’s important to surround yourself with experts who may know more than you in their domain. My role is to clear the path for them, empower them, and create the conditions where they can be at their most effective.

Philippe’s tip: A leader’s job is not to have all the answers, but to create the space where the best answers can emerge.

With projects like Watch Dogs, Hyper Scape, Ubisoft Club, and now Bifrost, have you developed a personal “design philosophy” or core principles you try to bring into every game?Philippe: My design philosophy is built around three pillars: clarity, agency, and pacing. Clarity means mechanics and feedback are always understandable; agency ensures players feel their choices matter; and pacing gives the experience rhythm, surprise, and momentum. Whether it’s an open-world progression system or a competitive shooter loop, I always return to those principles.

Equally important is iteration. I believe in prototyping and testing ideas as quickly as possible: failing fast so we can learn fast. The first draft is rarely perfect, but rapid iteration and playtesting allow the strongest ideas to surface.

Finally, I’m not precious about ownership of ideas. Great design can come from anyone on the team. What matters is whether it serves the Creative Director’s vision, and whether we can deliver it within time and budget.

Philippe’s tip: Strong design rests on simple pillars. Clarity, agency, and pacing will carry you further than any flashy feature.

You have seen major shifts in the industry, from live services to cross-platform, streaming and Twitch integration. How do you stay ahead of those changes as a leader?Philippe: I stay ahead of industry shifts by staying curious: playing a wide range of games, listening closely to players, and keeping an eye on new technologies. I don’t believe in chasing trends for their own sake; instead, I focus on understanding the player behaviors driving them. For example, Twitch integration in Hyper Scape wasn’t just about streaming: it tapped into players’ desire to connect and interact with their favorite streamers. That’s why it resonated and was praised by the community.

Curiosity also means looking beyond games for inspiration. Museums, travel, music, even completely different art forms can spark new ideas. Staying open to those influences helps me adapt creatively and bring fresh perspectives to game design.

Philippe’s tip: Curiosity is the best armor against change. The wider you look, the more resilient and inventive you become.

Philippe’s story shows that growing as a designer is not about chasing radical originality right away. It is about building strong fundamentals, learning to collaborate, and letting curiosity and iteration shape your path.

From Philippe, we learn that growth in design is not about avoiding mistakes but about turning them into stepping stones for the next stage of your career.

The news over the weekend was the sale of Electronic Arts (EA). In one of the largest buyouts in gaming history, EA announced it is being acquired in an all-cash $55 billion deal, taking the publisher private.

The group of buyers includes Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. EA, known for franchises such as EA Sports FC, Apex Legends, Battlefield, and The Sims, will no longer trade on the public stock market once the transaction is complete.

Key numbers of the deal:

According to CEO Andrew Wilson, this move will allow EA to “accelerate innovation and growth”, giving the company more flexibility to invest in long-term projects away from the pressures of quarterly earnings.

This is more than a financial transaction. It signals a shift in how institutional investors view gaming. With valuations fluctuating across the industry, a buyout of this scale shows that video games are no longer seen as a cyclical entertainment product but as a core piece of global infrastructure.

Whether this bet pays off or reshapes EA’s creative direction, one thing is certain: this deal is historic. At $55 billion, it stands as one of the largest leveraged buyouts ever attempted in any sector, not just gaming.

Nintendo of America is entering a new chapter. Longtime president Doug Bowser will retire on December 31, 2025. Starting January 1, Devon Pritchard will become President and COO of NOA, marking the first time a woman will lead the division. At the same time, longtime Nintendo executive Satoru Shibata will step in as CEO of NOA while maintaining his senior roles at Nintendo globally.

Pritchard is a 19 year Nintendo veteran who has overseen the launches of major titles such as Pokémon Legends Arceus, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Nintendo Switch Sports. The move comes at a pivotal moment. Switch 2 launched in June 2025 and sold 3.5 million units in its first four days.

This leadership change is more than symbolic. It signals a new era for Nintendo of America and shows how one of gaming’s most iconic companies is elevating diverse leadership at a critical point in its hardware cycle. The new CEO also comes across as cool, funny and creative, which you can see in the video above.

With this issue, Talent Play Zone reaches a full year. 26 editions have gone out every two weeks over 52 weeks, and more than 200 people have signed up.

I want to pause here to say thank you. Every reply, every question, every share has made this newsletter more than a project. It has become a community. Your support gives me and Karyna so much joy and purpose as we write each issue, search for stories and figure out how best to help you break into or grow in the games industry.

To celebrate this milestone and thank you for reading, I have put together a free 18-page ebook with the most useful tips and insights from Talent Play Zone so far. You can download it here Level Up: 18 Pages of Talent Play Zone Tips.

I am also taking a short break to focus on the next chapter of Talent Play Zone. My goal is to make it even more useful for you, including exploring coaching, a possible podcast, and short video content where I can share tips and stories in a different way.

While I plan, I would love to hear from you. What topics, formats or support would help you most? Leave a comment under my LinkedIn post for this issue and tell me what would be most valuable to you. Your ideas will help shape what comes next.

Thank you for being here, for reading, for trusting us with your attention. It means more than you know.

View

Keep showing up with intention.

I’ll be back soon with the next chapter of Talent Play Zone.

unsubscribe