Why Most Gaming Studios Fail to Build Teams That Actually Ship | Ionut Codreanu

Building great teams is harder than building great products.

Today, I sit down with Ionuț Codreanu, Head of Studio at Funcom and veteran of titles like Assassin’s Creed and Dune: Awakening, to break down what actually makes teams work in game development and beyond.

We explore hiring mistakes founders make early, why “rockstar” employees often fail long-term, how to build a strong core team, and what remote work during COVID really changed inside studios. You’ll also hear practical advice on hiring, culture, leadership conflict, market validation, and how aspiring developers can break into the industry today.

Whether you’re building your first team, scaling a game studio, or trying to break into game development, this episode gives you real, battle-tested insight; no theory, no fluff.