Mike Verdu to lead AR/VR content at Facebook (updated)

Mike Verdu, a seasoned mobile gaming and PC gaming veteran, said in a Facebook post that he has taken a role at Facebook leading AR/VR content.

“That means I’ll be working with developers to bring amazing games and other content to the Oculus Rift, Quest, Go, and other devices,” Verdu said in a post.

He added, “Because this is such a compelling opportunity, I opted to shelve the blockchain gaming start-up that many of you knew I was on the cusp of launching. Instead, I’ll be working on another frontier of technology. It’s incredibly exciting to be able to inflect the growth of these new computing platforms and the ecosystems around them.”

Facebook said that Jason Rubin, former head of content for AR/VR, willl now be vice president of special gaming initiatives. Content is still part of his responsibility, and he hired Verdu to run it.

In a statement, Facebook said:

• Jason Rubin’s role is expanding, and Verdu will run content and report to Rubin.  A big part of Rubin’s role will be exploring the future gaming strategies we should invest in across AR/VR and Facebook. Jason built a strong content organization and led that team to success for over five years. This requires someone with a clear vision and a dedicated focus who is able to look two to five years out at what our company needs to do to build and create a successful gaming and developer ecosystem.
• We want to build a long-term, successful VR gaming and developer ecosystem. This requires a leader with deep experience in making games, and someone who knows the industry well enough to see what’s going to happen 2-5 years from now. Jason Rubin is the perfect person to lead the strike teams that will drive VR games forward.

Verdu was former president of studios and former chief creative officer at Kabam. He also served as chief creative officer at Zynga.

Before that, Verdu was vice president and general manager at Electronic Arts’ studio in Los Angeles. He also served at Atari and Legend Entertainment.

[Updated 5/9/19 4:13 p.m.: Added Rubin’s new role].