Nitish Mittersain hands over Nazara CEO role to Raymond Stauffer amid global expansion push

Nitish Mittersain, co-founder of Indian gaming company Nazara Technologies, will step down as CEO, with Bluetile Games founder Raymond A. Stauffer set to succeed him.

Stauffer is expected to take office on 1 September 2026, or another date determined by Nazara’s board after the completion of all required regulatory and statutory approvals.

Mittersain’s resignation as CEO will take effect when Stauffer assumes the position. He will continue as Nazara’s managing director.

Stauffer will lead the group’s day-to-day operations, integration and portfolio performance. He will also oversee shared capabilities across product, data, AI, user acquisition and monetisation.

Mittersain will focus on the company’s long-term strategy, portfolio direction, strategic partnerships and key stakeholder relationships, while working with Stauffer, the board and Nazara’s leadership team.

“Few founders have the opportunity to serve as CEO twice. I have had that privilege at Nazara,” Mittersain said in his resignation letter.

He said the company’s expansion from an entrepreneurial gaming business into a larger international platform meant it was the right time to introduce a dedicated CEO with global operating experience.

Nazara was founded by Vikash and Nitish Mittersain in 1999.

Nitish Mittersain began his second stint as CEO on 1 December 2022, when Manish Agarwal stepped down to pursue an entrepreneurial venture.

Stauffer is a former Google executive and the founder and CEO of Bluetile Games, formerly known as Playvalve, and BestPlay Systems. Stauffer also co-founded Cliqpod, an online platform offering tools for solving puzzles and word games.

He graduated from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, holds a master’s degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has completed a business programme in AI and machine learning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Nazara said he had built a portfolio of 17 casual and social games with close to 375 million lifetime downloads and about 22 million monthly active users.

His appointment comes as Nazara revises its proposed acquisition of Bluetile and BestPlay.

Nazara’s UK subsidiary initially agreed in March to acquire 50% of the equity in each business for $100.3 million.

Under an amended structure announced on 3 August, the company plans to acquire full ownership of both businesses for a fixed, all-cash consideration of $303 million.

Nazara said $89 million will be paid when the transaction closes, with the remaining $214 million payable in agreed instalments by 1 April 2027. The deal remains subject to the completion of agreed closing requirements.

“Nazara has built a strong portfolio of global gaming IPs and entrepreneurial businesses,” Stauffer said.

“My focus will be to strengthen execution across product, AI, user acquisition and monetisation, while preserving entrepreneurial ownership within each business,” he said.

The leadership change comes as Nazara concentrates on its core gaming operations and seeks to build an international platform spanning mobile gaming, PC and console publishing, esports and offline entertainment.