MARÍA SAYANS
Career History
Maria Sayans is Chief Executive Officer of ustwo games, the London-based studio best known for the Monument Valley series. Founded as part of the wider ustwo collective, the studio has established a global reputation for crafting visually distinctive, emotionally resonant and accessible games that appeal to both gamers and non-gamers.
Sayans joined ustwo games as CEO in 2019 and has since guided the company through a period of creative and structural growth. Under her leadership, the studio has diversified beyond Monument Valley, developing titles such as Alba: A Wildlife Adventure and Desta: The Memories Between, while expanding its presence across narrative, puzzle and adventure genres. She has focused on sustaining innovation, broadening platform reach and embedding a culture that balances artistic ambition with commercial discipline.
Before joining ustwo games, Sayans served as Chief Customer Officer at CCP Games (most famous for EVE Online) and spent more than a decade at Electronic Arts, where she worked on major franchises including Mass Effect, Mirror’s Edge, and Battlefield.
About ustwo games
Based in London, ustwo games is best known for the Monument Valley series, celebrated for its visual design, emotional engagement and accessibility. Monument Valley has surpassed 160m installs across its versions and continues to be emblematic of high-quality, art-driven mobile gaming. The title has grossed an estimated $70m to date across the franchise worldwide since launch.
In addition to Monument Valley, ustwo has developed Alba: A Wildlife Adventure and Desta: The Memories Between, games that emphasise narrative, artful mechanics and cross-platform reach.
The studio embraces a culture of sustainability, creative expression and positive impact, and seeks to maintain balance between artistic ambition and commercial viability in its ongoing projects, including the recent release of Monument Valley 3 under Netflix.
Monument Valley 3