By Sagar V. Mankar 
Microsoft has appointed Kayleen Walters as the new head of Mojang Studios, the company behind the popular game Minecraft. This leadership change comes as current studio head Åsa Bredin steps down from her position.
In this significant transition at the Stockholm-based game developer, Walters will maintain her existing role as vice president and head of franchise development at Microsoft Gaming while taking on additional responsibilities at Mojang. According to Variety, she will be based in Redmond, Washington, but will frequently travel between the US and Stockholm offices to manage her dual roles effectively.
The leadership reorganization includes Federico San Martin, who will now handle the day-to-day management of franchise development, reporting directly to Walters. Additionally, Amy Stillion‘s role has been expanded as chief of staff, where she will oversee both games and content studios’ operations alongside Mojang Studios’ responsibilities.
Walters brings valuable experience to her new position, having previously led brand and entertainment initiatives for Minecraft. Before joining Microsoft in 2018, she spent 13 years at Lucasfilm, where she reached the position of vice president of franchise marketing and integrated planning.
The departing studio head, Åsa Bredin, who joined Mojang in 2021 and was promoted to lead the studio in 2023, will remain with the company through February to ensure a smooth transition. As per the internal memos, Bredin’s decision to step down was motivated by her desire to “focus on personal goals outside of work.”
This leadership change at Mojang Studios comes at an interesting time, as the company prepares for the release of the Warner Bros.-produced “A Minecraft Movie” in April.