Every industry reaches moments when change begins to reshape the entire landscape. The global gaming industry stands in one of those moments today. Developers seek greater control over their work. Players expect seamless experiences across platforms and communities. Behind the scenes, the systems that support payments, distribution, and player engagement continue to evolve at a rapid pace.
Leaders who understand both creativity and commerce guide this transformation. They build the bridges that connect developers, technology platforms, and global audiences. Their decisions influence how games reach players and how creators build sustainable businesses in a competitive ecosystem.
Berkley Egenes built his career by transitioning across various industries and learning from each experience. From enterprise technology at IBM to the energy of NASCAR, from global brand partnerships to the rising world of esports, every chapter of his journey expanded his perspective on marketing, partnerships, and growth.
Today, he serves as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer at Xsolla. He works at the center of the global gaming economy, focusing on helping developers reach players worldwide while building stronger control over their communities and revenue.
For his leadership and influence in the industry, Elite Success Magazine honors Berkley Egenes as The Most Influential Business Leader Driving Innovation and Strategic Growth 2026. This recognition reflects his contribution to the growth of the gaming ecosystem and his commitment to empowering game developers across the world.
The Journey to Global Marketing Leadership
Berkley built his career through a series of experiences that shaped his approach to marketing, partnerships, and growth. He began his professional journey at IBM after graduating from Texas A and M University. At IBM, he learned how large global organizations operate. He worked with enterprise clients and developed a strong understanding of complex global relationships.
He later moved to NASCAR. The environment felt very different from the corporate world. The industry moved fast and focused on fans, culture, and sponsorship. This experience helped him understand how brands connect with people through emotion and community.
He then joined the agency CSE, where he spent eight years working with major global brands such as Kellogg’s, AB InBev, Vizio, and Alcatel. His work covered sports, entertainment, and retail partnerships. During this time, he helped create major collaborations. One partnership connected Kellogg’s with FC Barcelona. He also worked with brands and organizations such as Disney Pixar, the NFL, and the NBA. These experiences helped him understand how strong partnerships create real brand value.
Later, he made a bold move into esports with Ghost Gaming. Many people saw the decision as risky, but he saw an opportunity to build something new. He helped grow the brand from the ground up. He led sponsorship sales, media relations, social growth, and the online store. He also built campaigns across major global titles such as Fortnite, PUBG, CS GO, Gears of War, Rocket League, and Apex Legends. The brand expanded across three continents and continued to grow until the organization joined Skillshot Media through acquisition.
Today, Berkley serves as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer at Xsolla. He focuses on building strong partnerships, scaling brands, and driving growth across the global gaming industry.
Building the Global Commerce Engine for Gaming
Shurick Agapitov founded Xsolla in 2005 with a clear idea. He wanted to make it easier for gamers to pay for the games they love. The company built its headquarters in Los Angeles and began to focus on solving payment challenges in the gaming industry. Over time, the company expanded far beyond payments and grew into a global commerce platform for video games.
Today, Xsolla serves as a commerce engine for the video game industry. The company supports developers and publishers at every stage of their journey. Small independent teams and the largest AAA studios both rely on its platform. Xsolla helps them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games across global markets.
The scale of the platform reflects this growth. Xsolla has processed more than 10 billion dollars in payments. The system supports more than one thousand payment methods across more than two hundred countries. Its infrastructure powers more than sixty percent of the one hundred highest grossing games in the world. Major companies such as Valve, Epic Games, Roblox, KRAFTON, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, NetEase, and miHoYo work with the company. The platform also supports more than fifteen hundred developers across the world.
The company also holds a strong belief in equal access. A solo developer in Lagos or Kuala Lumpur receives the same opportunity as a large studio in Los Angeles or Seoul. That mindset continues to shape the culture and strategy of the organization.
The mission of Xsolla focuses on removing barriers between great games and the players who want to experience them. The global gaming market includes different payment systems in every country. Regulations change often. Platform economics affect developer margins. Fraud risks, tax compliance, and localization add more complexity. Many developers cannot manage these challenges alone while building their games.
Xsolla solves these problems through its infrastructure and technology. The platform manages the complex backend of payments, compliance, and global commerce. This support allows developers to focus on what matters most. They can concentrate on building great games and strong player experiences.
The company also supports a larger shift in the industry. Developers now seek direct relationships with their players. They want stronger control over their audience, their data, and their revenue. Xsolla helps developers build this direct connection and strengthen their independence in the global game economy.
Products That Support the Global Gaming Ecosystem
Xsolla creates products and services that support the full lifecycle of game commerce. The company gives game developers tools to sell, distribute, and grow their games across global markets. Each solution helps studios manage the business side of gaming while teams focus on player experience and creativity.
Xsolla Payments gives developers access to more than 1000 payment methods across over 200 countries and more than 160 currencies. The platform manages fraud prevention, tax handling, regulatory compliance, and chargebacks. Developers accept payments from players around the world with confidence and efficiency.
Xsolla Web Shop allows studios to build branded direct to consumer storefronts. These web stores help developers sell digital items and content directly to player communities. The Buy Button guides mobile players from the game to a web purchase in a simple step. This approach creates a smooth buying experience for users.
Xsolla Launcher supports PC distribution and community engagement. Studios manage game delivery and strengthen relationships with players through one platform. The Mobile SDK supports in-app payments and enables distribution through alternative mobile app stores.
Xsolla also supports creators beyond payments and distribution. The Funding Accelerator helps independent studios secure early-stage capital and mentorship. Xsolla Academy offers gamified training that teaches developers the business side of gaming.
The company recently introduced Xsolla Agency and the Xsolla Partner Network. These initiatives connect developers with entertainment intellectual property owners and create trusted distribution partnerships. Together, these solutions strengthen game commerce.
Leading Global Marketing and Growth Strategy
As Chief Marketing and Chief Growth Officer at Xsolla, Berkley leads the company’s global marketing and growth strategy. He focuses on building a clear and consistent brand voice across the organization. When he joined the company in early 2020 as VP of Global Marketing, he recognized that Xsolla had strong technology and deep credibility with developers, but the brand story lacked alignment. Different teams across the world delivered strong work, yet the company did not present one unified narrative.
He took responsibility for bringing these efforts together and shaping a single direction for the brand. He connected digital marketing, global events, product marketing, public relations, creative teams, and business development so that every function supported the same message. This alignment helped the company present a stronger identity to developers and partners across the global gaming industry.
He also led the shift in how the market understands Xsolla. The company had long been recognized as a payments provider. Berkley guided the evolution of that perception and positioned Xsolla as a full-spectrum commerce platform for the gaming ecosystem. Through this work, he continues to drive brand growth, strengthen global visibility, and ensure that every marketing effort supports the company’s long-term business expansion.
Turning Industry Challenges into Opportunity
Berkley works in an industry that moves fast and questions every claim. Game developers hear endless pitches from companies that promise growth and better results. Because of this environment, developers rarely trust marketing language. Berkley understands this mindset well. He knows developers respect proof and real outcomes. This reality pushed him to reshape the marketing direction at Xsolla. He guides his team to highlight real developer stories and measurable success. He also ensures that the company stays present at global gaming events and developer communities. Each interaction helps build credibility and long-term trust.
Industry regulation creates another major challenge. A court decision involving Apple in April 2025 opened new discussions around alternative payment systems in the United States. At the same time, the Digital Markets Act continues to reshape the platform economy in Europe. These changes create opportunities for developers but also bring uncertainty. Berkley leads his team through this shifting landscape and helps developers understand the new environment.
Artificial intelligence adds another layer of complexity. Berkley sees companies rush toward AI without direction, while others hesitate. He promotes balance and encourages teams to use AI to support creativity and innovation.
Strategic Wins That Shaped Xsolla’s Growth
Berkley has delivered several milestones that helped drive the growth of Xsolla and strengthened its position in the global gaming industry. One of the most important achievements came with the launch of the Xsolla Web Shop in 2021. Berkley guided the initiative and helped developers move toward direct-to-consumer monetization. The platform quickly gained traction across the industry. By early 2024, the company had launched more than 200 web shops, including stores for 40 of the top 100 highest-grossing mobile games. Berkley continued to push the momentum forward. By 2026, the number of live web shops crossed 700. Developers achieved a 50 percent capture rate and a 60 percent repeat purchase rate. They also kept up to 95 percent of their revenue.
Berkley also led major initiatives that strengthened the visibility of Xsolla across the industry. At the Game Developers Conference 2026 in San Francisco, he led a complete brand transformation and introduced the largest product expansion in the history of the company. Strategic partnerships also marked an important part of his achievements. Xsolla extended its sponsorship agreement with Stevenage FC through 2028 and connected the gaming industry with a wider sports audience.
He also supported major web shop launches, including the store for Marvel Snap with Second Dinner and another for Abyss of Dungeons developed by KRAFTON. Berkley also pushed innovation in digital payments through a partnership with Mastercard that introduced a pay with points feature in Poland and created new revenue opportunities for developers.
A Leadership Style Focused on Growth and Learning
Berkley leads his teams with a philosophy shaped by sports organizations. He believes strong teams share clear goals and accept individual accountability. At Xsolla, he builds a culture where people work toward common global KPIs while still thinking independently. Regional teams receive the freedom to execute strategies that fit their own markets. This balance helps the organization stay aligned while still moving with speed and local insight.
He encourages experimentation across the marketing and growth teams. If an idea does not deliver results, the team studies the outcome, learns quickly, and shifts direction. Berkley values thoughtful risk-taking and does not punish a smart decision that fails to produce the expected result. This approach keeps creativity alive and helps the team move forward without hesitation.
He also believes leadership requires continuous growth. In 2023, he completed the Stanford Emerging CMO program to sharpen his own strategic perspective. He carries the same expectation into his team culture and encourages every member to keep learning, improving skills, and expanding their professional edge.
Innovating the Future of Gaming Infrastructure
Technology innovation stands at the center of how Berkley drives growth at Xsolla. He keeps one idea clear in his work. Every player in the world should enjoy the same simple and smooth purchase experience inside a game. A player in Indonesia using a local mobile wallet should feel the same ease as a player in New York who pays with Apple Pay. This belief guides how the company builds its commerce technology.
Under his leadership, Xsolla developed a powerful SDK that allows game developers to set pricing and inventory once and launch across many platforms. Studios can release games across mobile, web, PC, and direct-to-consumer channels without rebuilding their commerce setup. This structure removes friction for developers and creates a consistent player experience.
The company also improved its Web Shops with Progressive Web App technology. Faster performance and easier access encouraged more players to use direct purchasing. Web Shop visits increased by 300 percent as a result.
Security remains a key focus. Xsolla runs real-time fraud monitoring, strong encryption, and clear dispute resolution systems that protect both players and developers.
Artificial intelligence also strengthens the platform. Data models study player behavior, improve checkout performance, and support global payments through the company’s partnership with Adyen.
A Vision for the Future and Guidance for Leaders
Berkley looks ahead with a clear focus on the future of the gaming ecosystem and the role developers will play in shaping it. He wants to help game developers build stronger and more direct relationships with their players. He believes creators should own their audience, their data, and their revenue. This belief guides his work as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer at Xsolla. He pushes for a model where developers gain greater independence and take control of how they reach and grow their communities.
He also plans to open more opportunities for developers across global markets. He supports tools and platforms that help studios connect directly with players and increase the value of their work. He sees real industry growth when creators gain access to the technology, infrastructure, and insights that help them succeed on their own terms.
Berkley also shares clear advice for professionals who want to grow as leaders. He encourages people to start leading before a formal title arrives. He learned many leadership lessons early in his career when he stepped forward and accepted responsibility.
He also encourages professionals to step outside their comfort zone and explore new industries and environments. He values long-term relationships and strong listening. He also believes continuous learning keeps leaders curious, adaptable, and ready for the next opportunity.
A Legacy of Growth, Freedom, and Creator Control
Berkley wants his work to strengthen the people who create games. He believes developers should control their own businesses and shape their own future. In his role as Chief Marketing and Chief Growth Officer at Xsolla, he builds partnerships, platforms, and marketing strategies that help developers reach players while keeping that control.
He works to shift the balance in the gaming industry. For many years, a small group held most of the power in the ecosystem. Berkley focuses on opening new paths for developers. He builds marketing systems and partnerships that help creators grow their games and reach players around the world.
He also believes strong marketing needs creativity and clear results. Creativity tells stories that connect with players and developers. Results show real growth and real impact.
Berkley hopes to see a gaming ecosystem that gives more freedom to creators. If his work at Xsolla helps make that change possible, he will see that impact as a legacy worth building.
