Many developers and gamers spend hours creating games and online experiences, but their hard work often goes unnoticed and unpaid. Without the right tools, it’s hard to reach players, manage payments, or earn from your passion. As a result, great ideas get stuck, opportunities are missed, and creators miss out on the rewards they deserve.
Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla, drives the company’s growth by empowering developers and shaping the global gaming ecosystem. He oversees the full-service platform that enables studios to manage monetization, compliance, live operations, and player engagement while maintaining control over their business and data. Chris’s leadership ensures Xsolla operates with a developer-first approach, building tools and infrastructure collaboratively with creators to remove barriers between games and global audiences. He has been instrumental in scaling operations, aligning global teams, and fostering a culture grounded in clarity, empathy, and trust, which accelerates innovation and sustainable growth.
Under his guidance, Xsolla has reached over 4,500 developers across 10,000 games, operates more than 1,500 direct-to-consumer web shops, processes over $4 billion in annual GMV, and connects with more than two billion gamers worldwide. Chris Hewish spearheaded transformative initiatives, including the Xsolla Web Shop, redefining digital commerce and inspiring platform policy shifts. He also launched international programs, such as the Xsolla–IDDA Incubation Program. He strengthened strategic partnerships with industry leaders, including Epic Games, Roblox, and Warner Bros. These milestones solidify Chris’s reputation as a visionary leader whose work drives measurable business growth and empowers creators across the global gaming ecosystem.
From Designer to Industry Leader
Chris Hewish’s gaming journey began with a deep fascination for the intersection of creativity and technology. He started his career as a designer and producer, spending over a decade at Activision, where he contributed to a wide range of titles during one of the industry’s most transformative periods. Those experiences shaped his understanding of how innovation, data, and storytelling come together to influence culture.
He later moved to DreamWorks Interactive and Skydance, where he led production on groundbreaking projects such as Raw Data and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. These projects demonstrated how immersive experiences and emerging technologies, including VR, could redefine player engagement. Six years ago, Chris joined Xsolla, recognizing a company that shared his belief in creativity as a robust connector. At Xsolla, he saw an opportunity not just to solve payments challenges but to build infrastructure that enables developers worldwide to succeed on their own terms, turning creativity into a scalable opportunity.
True Leadership Is All About Clarity, Empathy, And Trust
A defining moment for Chris Hewish came during his time as Interim CEO of Xsolla from May 2023 to March 2024. He led the company through significant changes, including restructuring leadership, launching new growth initiatives, and aligning global teams in a fast-moving market. Chris learned that authentic leadership isn’t about hierarchy—it’s about clarity, empathy, and trust. In times of change, it’s essential for people to feel supported, understood, and connected to a shared purpose. He also believes that a vision only works when it’s shared. By encouraging collaboration, Chris effectively solved challenges while creating lasting momentum across the organization.
Throughout his journey at Xsolla, Chris Hewish emphasizes that his growth as a leader has never happened in isolation. He often credits Founder Shurick Agapitov’s vision, entrepreneurial courage, and relentless work ethic as foundational influences on his leadership philosophy. Chris notes that working alongside Shurick taught him the value of thinking boldly, acting with purpose, and building solutions that meaningfully advance the industry. He also underscores that every milestone—whether introducing new products, expanding global operations, or supporting thousands of developers has been the result of collaborative efforts across the organization
Empowering Developers and Streamlining the Business of Gaming
Xsolla’s mission is to make it easier for great games to reach players everywhere. What began as a payment solution has grown into a full-service ecosystem that helps developers fund, launch, and develop their games across every platform and market. At the heart of this mission is a developer-first approach: Xsolla works alongside creators to give them complete control over their business, player relationships, and revenue. Tools like the Web Shop and Pay Station let developers manage their games directly, while keeping ownership of their data and income.
Beyond empowering creators, Xsolla streamlines the complex business side of gaming. Developers face challenges such as monetization, compliance, live operations, and user retention—areas where Xsolla provides secure, global infrastructure, enabling studios to focus on what they do best: creating exceptional games. Today, Xsolla supports over 4,500 developers across 10,000 games, operates more than 1,500 direct-to-consumer web shops, and processes over $4 billion in annual GMV, reaching more than two billion gamers worldwide. By addressing friction points across payments, fraud prevention, player management, and data transparency, Xsolla has earned recognition as a trusted backbone of commerce in the gaming industry.
Operating in over 200 countries, supporting 130+ currencies, and offering 1,000 payment methods, Xsolla helps everyone from indie studios to AAA publishers reach players worldwide. This combination of developer empowerment, business simplification, and global reach has transformed the way games are created, managed, and experienced, positioning Xsolla as a true enabler of growth and innovation in the gaming ecosystem.
Xsolla Web Shop, Most Transformative Initiative
One of Xsolla’s most transformative initiatives is the Xsolla Web Shop. This innovation allows developers to sell directly to players, bypassing restrictive app store rules and giving creators greater control over their revenue and player relationships. By redefining how digital commerce operates in gaming, the Web Shop has reshaped the concept of digital ownership and influenced significant policy changes across leading platforms worldwide, setting a new standard for developer empowerment and industry collaboration.
The Triple Revolution Transforming Gaming
Chris Hewish notes that three revolutions are converging at once: AI, blockchain, and cloud infrastructure, reshaping the future of gaming.
- AI will personalize player journeys and accelerate content creation.
- Cloud gaming will make high-fidelity experiences universally accessible.
- Blockchain will redefine ownership, transparency, and the exchange of value.
Under Hewish’s leadership, Xsolla’s role is to connect these innovations to real-world use. The company is building infrastructure that makes the next era of gaming accessible and sustainable, ensuring developers have the tools to participate in new digital economies without losing creative control.
200+ Countries’ Global Reach
Xsolla has achieved remarkable scale and impact across the global gaming ecosystem, as reflected in the key metrics and partnerships below:
| Developers Integrated | 4,500+ developers across 10,000 games |
| Global Reach | 200+ countries & territories |
| Direct-to-Consumer Platforms | 1,500+ D2C Web Shops |
| Annual GMV Processed | $4B+ |
| Client Retention | 99.6% |
| Gamers Reached | 2 billion globally |
| Key Partners | Epic Games, Roblox, Savvy, Warner Bros., and more |
Served As A Member Of The Forbes Technology Council
Chris Hewish has served as a member of the Forbes Technology Council, where he contributes insights on technology and gaming innovation. Under his leadership, Xsolla has been featured in GamesIndustry.biz, VentureBeat, and The Fintech Times for its achievements in monetization, Web3 infrastructure, and industry transformation. The company’s increasing presence at global events such as Gamescom, Gamesforum, and GDC further reflects this recognition and its ongoing commitment to advancing the gaming ecosystem responsibly.
Strategic Partnerships
Collaboration is central to Xsolla’s strategy. The company recently launched the Xsolla–IDDA Incubation Program in partnership with the Innovation and Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan, marking the country’s first international gaming incubator.
Culture Built On Creativity, Transparency, And Trust
Xsolla’s culture is built on creativity, transparency, and trust. With a “developer-first” approach, the company empowers its teams to think independently, collaborate across borders, and create products that genuinely support game creators. Diversity of thought is valued, and employees are encouraged to take initiative and exercise autonomy. Every team member is seen as a builder, innovator, and ambassador, united by the belief that when developers succeed, the entire gaming ecosystem benefits.
Advice for Upcoming Leaders and Professionals
Vasant Patel advises to“Lead with curiosity and conviction.”
The best leaders are not those who have all the answers, but those who ask the right questions, explore new ideas, and adapt along the way. Focus on solving meaningful challenges with empathy and integrity, and lift the voices that matter most rather than trying to be the loudest in the room.
Media Featured
Chris Hewish and Xsolla have been featured in several notable publications, including:
- GamesIndustry.biz, covering the impact of the Google Play and Epic Games settlements
- VentureBeat, highlighting trends in developer monetization
- Mobidictum (Turkey), featuring a leadership-focused interview
- Gamesforum and The Fintech Times, showcasing thought leadership on direct-to-consumer commerce.
QUICK TAKES
- One tool you recommend:
- Miro — for visualizing complex ideas collaboratively.
- One quote that motivates you:
- “The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.” – John Sculley
- One piece of advice for entrepreneurs:
- Focus on creating real, lasting value. Purpose is the best long-term strategy.
- One book you recommend:
- The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen is a must-read on anticipating disruption.
Chris Hewish’s 5 Impactful Business Mantras
- Empower Creators First: Build tools, infrastructure, and processes that remove barriers so developers can focus on creativity and growth.
- Lead with Clarity, Empathy, and Trust: True leadership comes from supporting teams, encouraging collaboration, and sharing a clear vision.
- Solve Real Challenges, Not Just Trends: Focus on meaningful innovation that improves experiences, streamlines business, and drives measurable impact.
- Think Global, Act Local: Scale solutions across markets while understanding local needs, partnerships, and opportunities.
- Adapt and Innovate Continuously: Embrace emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and cloud to stay ahead and create sustainable growth.
