Kim Swift, former Portal lead developer, joins NEARstudios as COO
Newsbrief: Hawthorn developer NEARstudios has announced the hiring of celebrated game industry veteran Kim Swift as its new chief operating officer.
Swift is most well-known for leaving development on Valve's 2007 Portal. After leaving Valve she embarked on multiple tours of duty across different triple-A companies including Amazon Game Studios, EA Motive, Google's short-lived Stadia development team, and Xbox Game Publishing.
NEARstudios co-founder and CEO Heather Cerlan said in a statement announcing the news that her hiring is a "meaningful step forward" for the Maryland-based company. "Kim's leadership and passion for empowering creative teams align deeply with our mission. With her support, we're better equipped than ever to deliver on the promise of Hawthorn and grow the studio in a way that honors the heart and ambition behind everything we make."
The 20-year industry veteran said that she wanted to join the studio after she "fell in love" with Hawthorn and learned about their vision for the studio, one based on "building immersive, sandbox experiences with a rich narrative and emphasizing community.
"I'm looking forward to helping evolve the studio's operations so the team can focus on making Hawthorn an incredible, immersive and charming experience for our players."
