Gaming Pioneer Steven Chiang Launches Fortis Games as Sands' Major Entertainment Bet in the Distributed Era

In a bold strategic move, Las Vegas Sands Corporation is making a significant entry into the interactive entertainment sector through Fortis Games, a freshly established video game developer and publisher backed by seasoned industry leaders. The venture brings together over 150 team members and a leadership roster drawing from powerhouses including Electronic Arts, WB Games, Zynga, and Smule.

A Dream Team Reimagining Gaming Culture

At the helm of Fortis Games is Steven Chiang, who previously held the title of EVP at WB Games’ Worldwide Studios and served as co-founder of EA Tiburon. Chiang’s executive journey also includes his presidency of studios at Zynga, positioning him as a veteran of the industry’s most transformative moments. The leadership team extends to Shawn Foust as chief operating officer, drawing from his tenure at WB Games and experience leading Plexchat, while Calvin Lau contributes as chief product officer, having directed design efforts on multiple blockbuster titles.

“We’re witnessing the dawn of an unprecedented era where games can fundamentally reshape how people connect and build communities,” Chiang articulated in discussing the company’s direction. The founding vision centers on crafting digital worlds that transcend entertainment, evolving into platforms where meaningful social bonds form and memorable shared experiences flourish across diverse platforms and game genres.

The Strategic Roadmap: Beyond Traditional Gaming

Fortis Games is charting a course toward next-generation service gaming, advancing social mechanics to enable thriving digital societies. Rather than chasing quick monetization, the company envisions games as primary vehicles for positive social engagement—a departure from conventional industry approaches. The architectural design supports a distributed workforce model, enabling the company to recruit top talent regardless of geographic boundaries.

The expansion strategy has already taken concrete form through strategic acquisitions: Doppio Games from Portugal, Oktagon Games based in Brazil, and Metagame headquartered in Romania. These moves establish Fortis Games as a truly global operation with development presence across North America (US and Canada), Europe (UK and Romania, Portugal), and South America (Brazil).

Why Sands Bet Big on This Vision

Las Vegas Sands’ commitment to Fortis Games reflects a broader conviction that interactive entertainment represents humanity’s most accessible medium for delivering enriching social experiences. Patrick Dumont, serving as Sands’ president and COO, underscored the corporation’s willingness to invest substantially and sustainably, positioning Fortis Games as an entity primed to become consequential in reshaping gaming culture.

The backing enables Fortis Games to operate independently while leveraging streaming platforms, emerging communication technologies, and the democratized access to high-quality gaming experiences—factors that define the contemporary landscape. This financial freedom coupled with veteran leadership suggests the company is positioned to pioneer fresh game genres and social mechanics that the current market has yet to explore thoroughly.