Yuga Labs Hires Former Activision Blizzard COO as New CEO to Spearhead Metaverse Efforts

‍Yuga Labs, the company behind the popular collections, the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and CryptoPunks, has a new CEO: Daniel Alegre. The executive, who previously held leadership positions at Google, Activision Blizzard, and Bertelsmann, resigned from his role as President and COO of Activision Blizzard to join Yuga Labs on April 1.

Alegre's addition is expected to help Yuga Labs ramp up its efforts in the metaverse. In a December press release, Alegre expressed his excitement for the opportunities that the company's pipeline of products, partnerships, and IP presents for defining the metaverse. With his extensive experience in the gaming, entertainment, and technology industries, Alegre is well-equipped to lead Yuga Labs' foray into this space.

In addition to the lawsuit, Yuga Labs co-founder Wylie Aronow took a leave of absence in January to prioritize his health after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. It is unclear when he will be able to resume his responsibilities.

Despite these challenges, Alegre's appointment has been met with enthusiasm in the NFT industry. Kieran Warwick, co-founder of blockchain role-playing game Illuvium, said that Yuga Labs' new hire is "big for all of GameFi," suggesting that Web3 gaming will spark the next crypto bull run.

Overall, with Alegre at the helm, Yuga Labs is poised to make significant strides in the NFT space and beyond, although it will need to navigate the ongoing lawsuit and Aronow's absence. Nevertheless, the company's pipeline of products, partnerships, and IP presents a significant opportunity for defining the metaverse, and Alegre's experience will undoubtedly be an asset in this endeavor.