It’s an exciting time at Layer. As more game studios adopt our AI tools to speed up production, scale content pipelines, and unlock new creative workflows, we’re expanding the team strategically. Our goal is to build a team that supports the world’s top studios, roll out new features across modalities, and stay laser-focused on one thing: helping game creators do their best work.
Today, we’re thrilled to welcome two new key hires to #TeamLayer: Alex Engel as VP of Product, and Ilya Kuznetsov as Director of Business Development.
Driving creative products for game teams – Welcome Alex Engel
We’re here to empower game teams - to remove bottlenecks, supercharge pipelines, and eliminate repetitive work that gets in the way of creativity. That’s why bringing in Alex Engel as our first dedicated VP of Product is such a big deal.
Alex has deep roots in gamedev, with experience across major titles like The Lord of the Rings Online, D&D Online, and Asheron’s Call, as well as mobile hits like Game of Thrones Ascent and Star Trek Timelines. As a product leader, he’s worked on everything from full virtual economies to gamification systems, always taking a data-driven approach to champion the user.
Outside of games, Alex has had senior roles at DraftKings and Tripadvisor - and most recently, as CEO of Rare Edition and co-founder of Lovelace Studio, building AI-powered tools and games in Unreal Engine.
“As a developer myself, I know how important it is to build tools that level up artists - not replace them,” Alex said. “Layer’s approach to working hand-in-hand with studios is exactly the right mindset.”
With Alex setting the tempo for product development, we’re doubling down on our creator-first philosophy: building features game teams actually need, and delivering real value across production, live ops, and creative iteration.
When he’s not deep in Figma or product docs, Alex is usually biking around town, managing his two chaotic cats - Coraline (co-worker) and Calcifer (chaos agent) - or sorting through his massive collection of Magic and Pokémon cards. He’s also a lifelong D&D Dungeon Master (never the player), a collector of over 800 physical video games, and a connoisseur of fancy beer and good bourbon.
Building partnerships with studios worldwide – Welcome Ilya Kuznetsov
Joining as Director of Business Development, Ilya Kuznetsov will lead many of our relationships with game studios, particularly across Europe. He’s a natural fit for Layer - with a background that blends games, GTM strategy, and a deep understanding of what game studios of all sizes actually need to succeed.
Ilya spent years at Unity helping top studios implement best practices, optimize monetization, and grow their games - often diving deep into performance data, running live deconstructions, and speaking at events like Unite. He later joined Ready Player Me in the early days, wearing multiple hats across product and sales, and helping steer the company’s GTM motion through several strategic pivots.
Whether it’s shaping early-stage product narratives or rolling out large-scale studio partnerships, Ilya knows what it takes to bring powerful tools to real-world game teams.
The moment he decided to join Layer? That happened on a beach in Thailand.
“I tried to build a game from scratch, using just AI. I created a 12-page GDD, and used Layer to design the 2D assets. It worked so well that I realized: this tool has massive potential. After diving deeper, I knew this was a product - and a mission - I wanted to be part of.”
Based in Barcelona (by way of Estonia, China, Germany, and the UK), Ilya brings a global perspective - and a serious love of game design, sound systems (he’ll be DJing at this year’s Gamescom!), and perfectly made scrambled eggs. His DJ alter ego Zumerian has played sets everywhere from Seoul to secret beach parties, blending indie dance and psychedelic house depending on the mood.
He’s also a lifelong gamer, from running a one-man fish market economy in World of Warcraft (200+ days played) to climbing the ranks in Teamfight Tactics duo queue. And when he’s not mixing or gaming, you’ll find him breaking down game systems, obsessing over Asian 7-Eleven snacks, or exploring a city’s late-night music scene.
What This Means for Layer 🚀
Bringing on industry leaders like Alex and Ilya marks a huge milestone in Layer’s journey - moving from scrappy startup to a more product-mature tool provider for game studios.
This means we can move faster, build smarter, and stay focused on delivering real value to the game studios we work with every day.
From expanding into new markets to launching awesome new features, we’ve got a packed roadmap ahead. We wish Alex and Ilya the best and can’t wait to see how they help us push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI in game development.
Stay tuned for more.
#TeamLayer (now bigger!)
