As more game studios rely on Layer to power their creative pipelines, our engineering team plays a critical role in making sure everything scales smoothly, securely, and with the speed game creators expect (those expectations are almost always fast 😅).
That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome John Wood as our new VP of Engineering. John brings over 17 years experience building tools, games, and teams across industries - from defense to the games. His leadership will be essential to help us take our platform to the next level.
From DevOps to Game Launches
John started his career in the defense industry, working in DevOps at Raytheon. He quickly found himself drawn to building internal tools that could cut through endless paperwork and help teams move faster.
After seven years, he made the leap into games, and never looked back. Over the past decade, John has helped launch dozens of titles across Sparcade, WorldWinner, and FanDuel FaceOff. He joined GSN Games in 2013 as an Engineer on WorldWinner, navigated the company’s sale to Game Taco in 2021, and led the launch of FanDuel FaceOff on iOS and Android in 2022 as VP of Engineering.
In 2023, he switched gears to work on BELLEMINT, a fashion game built in partnership with REVOLVE. At Muus Collective, John helped build a strong product, team, and culture.
Getting into Games
John’s love for games runs deep - one of his earliest memories is teething on an Atari 2600 controller.
Today, his home boasts a mini arcade complete with a VR cockpit, two MAME machines (one traditional, one for light gun games), and a Star Wars Episode I pinball machine.
He’s especially passionate about VR gaming, with favorites like Elite Dangerous and Star Wars Squadrons. Thursday nights are reserved for hopping into Bigscreen VR to watch South Park and Peacemaker with friends - a weekly ritual he treasures.
Outside of games, John loves traveling and spending time with his family. His youngest is his mini-golf and Dave & Buster’s buddy, while his older two are adrenaline junkies - together they’ve tackled coaster trips to Universal Studios and keep season passes to Six Flags.
Why Layer?
“I joined Layer because it’s an opportunity to bring together the most fulfilling parts of my career. Early on, I built tools that helped engineers move faster. Mid-career, I built games that made people smile. Later, I built teams that cared deeply about their craft. At Layer, I get to do all three, while learning more about AI every day.” - John Wood, VP of Engineering, Layer
John’s arrival marks an exciting new chapter for Layer’s engineering org. With his leadership, we’re doubling down on our commitment to delivering scalable, reliable, and gamedev-friendly infrastructure that empowers studios to push creative boundaries.
Welcome to #TeamLayer!
