N3twork Studios, one of the most promising developers in the blockchain gaming space, became the latest Web3 company to poach a leading executive from the Web2 world today. It has just announced the hire of former Tinder Chief Product Officer Josh Sell as its new Chief Product Officer.
In his new role, Sell will be tasked with leading the development of N3twork Studios upcoming Web3 gaming titles, Legendary: Heroes Unchained and Triumph, which are two of the most anticipated blockchain-based game releases expected later in the year. LHU is a fantasy role playing game that’s set in the same world as Legendary: Game of Heroes, the hit mobile RPG game that has generated more than $300 million in sales to date.
Sell will also work alongside N3twork Studios President Matt Richetti in running the company’s day-to-day business operations, as it strives to achieve its mission of transforming the video game industry by seizing the exciting potential of Web3’s unique capabilities.
The company, which raised $46 million in funding last May, said that Sell is uniquely suited to his new role because he possesses a wealth of experience in both the video gaming, and the wider tech industry. Sell began his career as the executive producer of games publisher Aeria Games & Entertainment, and went on to play key roles in the growth of Kabam and Glu Mobile, where he was one of the leading minds behind the hit game franchise Deer Hunter. Prior to joining Tinder, he also had stints at King, where he helped develop the Farm Heroes franchise, the Web3 gaming startup Midnight, and NCSoft, where he served as GM of Mobile.
John Sell, former Tinder Chief Product Officer, joins N3twork Studios as Chief Operations Officer.
Sell’s role at Tinder was his first major opportunity at a non-gaming firm. As Tinder’s CPO, Sell oversaw the introduction of dozens of new features for the popular dating app, including its popular “Explore Tab” function which allows users to search for potential matches themselves with the aid of filters, as opposed to simply scrolling through a random stream of users that’s created by Tinder’s own algorithms.
At N3twork Studios, Sell joins an experienced team that is made up of more than 80 professionals, the vast majority of whom have extensive experience in the traditional video games industry. In addition to working with Richetti, who previously worked at PerBlue Entertainment, Kabam, and Zynga, Sell will also collaborate closely with N3twork Studio’s executive producer Julius Hong, a former developer at EA, Glu Mobile and KIXEYE.
Sell said in a statement that it was N3twork Studio’s diverse and talented team that convinced him to join the company.
“The folks I met with prior to joining were all intrinsically motivated by consumer experience,” Sell explained. “Their views lined up perfectly with my own around how Web3 can drive genuine and sustained player benefit. I also got my hands on the product(s) before joining and loved them; there’s a huge opportunity for success here.”
Sell’s belief in the potential of Web3 may have also been pivotal in his decision to join N3twork Studios. Sell is thought to have been one of the main advocates of Tinder’s plan to adopt cryptocurrency and metaverse-based dating. However, Tinder abruptly canceled those plans in August 2022 when it announced the shock departure of its then-CEO Renate Nyborg.
In his statement, Sell explained that he’s a big believer in Web3’s ability to fundamentally transform games for the better by allowing players to take ownership of their experience and influence their development. “Developers in the Web3 space have already learned a lot, and the next generation of titles will offer a deeper, more engaging experience on a level playing field to AAA games,” Sell insisted.
Sell isn’t the only former Web2 executive who thinks that way. Indeed, the last year has seen a number of top tier executives at legacy tech companies leaving their former roles to embrace the next generation of the internet. In 2022, YouTube’s senior managing director and global head of gaming Ryan Watt jumped ship to Polygon, the Ethereum scaling network, where he became CEO, while former Facebook Chief Marketing officer Sherice Torres swapped her role for a new position at Circle, the company behind the USDC stablecoin.
RIchetti said Sell’s move to N3twork Studios is just the latest example of how Web3 is managing to attract some of the tech industry’s brightest talents.
“Josh is a world-class product executive who brings a ton of Web2 and Web3 gaming experience to N3twork Studios,” Richetti said. “With Josh on board, we’ll be able to take our two upcoming titles to the next level.”
