Our Team

Mohawk Games is a small team consisting of industry veterans. We also rely on help from key contractors to get the job done.


Leyla Johnson

Leyla Johnson

CEO, Creative Director

CEO of Mohawk Games and Creative Director for Old World. Leyla grew up in Lebanon and studied Journalism before working in radio and government. A talented polyglot, Leyla worked on Offworld Trading Company and for Mohawk, she has performed work in different disciplines from community management, art direction, project lead to narrative design.

Soren Johnson

Soren Johnson

Design Director

Growing up in Washington State, Soren enjoyed several hobbies including videogames, music and soccer. Completing an internship at EA, he transitioned to Firaxis to work on Civilization III and IV. Soren is now Design Director at Mohawk Games and brings years of experience to projects like Offworld Trading Company and Old World.

Alex Mantzaris

Alex Mantzaris

Senior Programmer

Alex was raised in Greece and spent his youth sailing the open waters. After earning degrees in Engineering and Naval Architecture, programming caught Alex’s attention. By reverse-engineering mechanics in Civilization III, Alex showed skill and was recruited to join Firaxis. He now works as an AI and Gameplay Programmer on Old World.

Mark Shahan

Mark Shahan

Lead 3D Artist

Mark has 25 years of experience in the industry. He previously worked on Sid Meier’s Pirates and Civilization IV. Moving onto ZeniMax Online Studios, he worked on Elder Scrolls Online and is now Lead Artist at Mohawk Games. Beyond work, Mark loves making things including knives, tattoos, and more!

Derrick Man

Derrick Man

UI Programmer

Derrick is a Brooklynite who grew up playing Age of Empires and Civilization. With a Masters in Public Policy and interest in economics, Derrick thrived in Offworld Trading Company’s competitive community, eventually joining Mohawk Games to design scenarios for Offworld and improving the UI in Old World.

Dale Kent

Dale Kent

Designer/QA

Born in rural Australia, Dale grew up surrounded by the bush. He moved to Melbourne to study Commerce-Law, but a year in, he followed his passion transferring to Computer Science. Dale's first Sid Meier game was Pirates!, which drove him to write his first mod. Whilst Dale excelled in business software development, he tried to appease his yearn for game development by making mods for different games. He modded the Civilization Series, but it was his dream to move into games development as his "real job". He now works as a Designer and QA on Old World.

Luis Medina

Luis Medina

Digital Artist

Hailing from Ecuador, Luis is a passionate illustrator and concept artist with a strong background in traditional art. He has experience with both 2D and 3D software, always prioritizing aesthetics and efficiency.