Mike Sanders

About Mike Sanders

Previously, I was Chief Development Officer at Carbonated, overseeing development of the…

Experience

1. Chief Development Officer (CDO)

   Carbonated Inc.

   Mar 2024 — Present · Raleigh, NC, US

   As Chief Development Officer at Carbonated, I led the re-envisioning of MadWorld, transforming it from a round-based PvP arena shooter into a mission-driven PvE extraction game with snap-to-cover combat. I aligned the company behind this new direction, driving a ground-up redesign across gameplay, technology, and strategy.I served as the sole Producer, Project Manager, and Product Owner from early redesign through live operations, overseeing sprint planning, backlog triage, and coordination across engineering, design, and art. I directed planning and execution of core systems, ensuring each release reflected both long-term vision and near-term goals.I created strategic alignment through pitch-style presentations, milestone metrics, and documentation that surfaced priorities across teams. I authored user stories, dev tasks, and defects based on collaboration with engineers and designers, building structured roadmaps spanning multiple kanban and scrum releases.I led closed testing initiatives, developed playtesting plans, and managed stakeholder engagement with Carbonated’s board, partners, and studios. I guided go-to-market efforts including user acquisition, community engagement, and retention strategies ahead of launch.I built and maintained partnerships with Unity, IronSource, The Linux Foundation, Hathora, Amazon, and Oppo, unlocking tools and infrastructure critical to MadWorld’s growth. As part of the executive team, I shaped company strategy, evaluated spend, and drove sustainable scaling.I led design on moment-to-moment combat, AI behaviors, player camera, snap-to-cover, and gameplay UI. I delivered foundational metagame systems like Missions, Squad Ops, grading systems, the overworld map, FTUE clan carousel, social layers, and generative AI integrations. I co-designed monetization models and retention features including LLM bots and analytics.I championed O3DE Engine adoption, mentored developers, and administered the Jira/Confluence Cloud stack.

Education

• Southeast Raleigh High School

  Information Technology

  2002 — 2006