Why Game Studio Failures Are Structure Problems, Not Talent Problems | Chris Casanova (Microsoft, Mojang, Relic, Hypixel)

Most game studios think they have a talent problem. They don't. They have a structure problem.

Chris Casanova spent 15+ years as a producer across Microsoft Xbox, Mojang (Minecraft), Relic Entertainment, Offworld Industries, and Hypixel Studios. He's watched talented teams fail repeatedly—not from lack of skill, but from organizational friction.

Traditional studios organize around craft silos: design departments, engineering departments, art departments. Every feature requires handoffs. Every handoff loses fidelity. The result? Friction, misalignment, wasted iteration, and missed deadlines.

Chris reveals the alternative: cross-functional outcome teams of 5-9 people who own their results from concept to ship.

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TIMESTAMPS

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00:00 - Chris's background: Xbox, Mojang, Relic

02:59 - Why he wrote "Structure Teams to Win"

06:54 - The problem with craft-based teams

08:17 - Outcome teams: The procedural worlds example

18:32 - Why 5-9 people is optimal team size

24:10 - Three organizational layers explained

31:48 - When leaders resist change

42:20 - The political reality of reorganization

47:15 - Case study: 70-person AA co-op shooter

58:07 - Advice for small teams (10 people)

01:01:06 - How to connect with Chris

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KEY INSIGHTS

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THE PROBLEMS:

- Design creates specs without context → over-engineered solutions

- Art produces assets without validation → endless iteration

- QA receives unclear requirements → irrelevant bug reports

- Every handoff loses the original intent

THE SOLUTION:

Cross-functional teams of 5-9 people with:

→ Mixed disciplines (designers, engineers, artists, QA embedded)

→ Clear mission and measurable KPIs

→ Everything needed to own their outcome

→ Minimal handoffs, maximum collaboration

REAL EXAMPLE:

Procedural worlds team mission: "Every world seed feels fresh, readable, performant"

KPI: Biome novelty per minute

Team: Generation engineers, world designers, environment artists, technical artists, QA

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70-PERSON STUDIO STRUCTURE

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Chris provides detailed org structure for AA co-op shooter:

- Combat & Gameplay (15 people, 2 teams)

- Progression & Economy (10 people, 2 teams)

- Social & Co-Op (12 people, 2 teams)

- Content & Live Ops (15 people, 2 teams)

- World & Narrative (10 people, 1 team)

- Technical Foundation (8 people, 1 team)

Each team has 5-9 people with mixed disciplines focused on specific outcomes.

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THE HARD TRUTHS

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Some leaders won't make the transition from managing 30 people to being on a team of 8. They'll resist or self-select out. And that's okay—holding onto territorial structures to preserve egos is how studios fail.

"If you have a C-suite that's divided, you're not going to be able to make this change. You need unified leadership."

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RESOURCES MENTIONED

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- "Team of Teams" by Gen. Stanley McChrystal

- "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink

- "Structure Teams to Win" (Chris's Medium article)

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CONNECT WITH CHRIS

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Chris is seeking his next production leadership role.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-casanova/

Email: [email protected]

Article: https://medium.com/@chris.casanova/structure-teams-to-win-15d98e65c5d7

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READ THE FULL BREAKDOWN

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Detailed newsletter post with implementation templates and additional examples:

https://www.gamemakers.com/p/why-your-game-studios-organizational

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Gamemakers podcast: Gaming business insights for developers, executives, and investors. Hosted by Joseph Kim. New episodes weekly.

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