#MeetIronGalaxy – Jonathan Mosoff

Helping the best studios in this industry make amazing games takes top notch coordination and communication. When it comes to making sure everyone is working well together, dev teams look to producers for the structure and guidance they need to get the job done. Let’s chat with a lead who brings the best out of Iron Galaxy.

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Iron Galaxy: Hi Jonathan, welcome to the blog! How would you summarize what you do here at IG?

Jonathan Mosoff: I am a Producer on multiple projects! My main focus is working with our engineers to help manage tasking and coordinating communications with our partners.

IG: Important responsibilities for our studios that you’ve doing here for more than 11 years. Big props. What has been your proudest moment at Iron Galaxy over the years?

JM: At IG we’ve had several opportunities to mentor college students on their final projects ahead of graduation. We get to see their project take shape from conception to completion and it is amazing seeing how much a group of college students improve their skills in game dev in such a short period of time! Hearing how much the students appreciate the feedback myself and the other mentors have given them always makes me proud and confirms that I made the right decision to pursue a career in Video Games.

IG: It’s great that you can balance your time between doing and teaching. As a producer, how often do you collaborate with different teams across Iron Galaxy?

JM: Depending on the project, I get to collaborate with every discipline at any time! It’s one of my favorite things about the role and it has helped me get out of my comfort zone and be more outgoing with people, as I am typically very introverted.

IG: That might come as a surprise to some of our teammates. What’s the most rewarding aspect of creating things that other people experience?

JM: I have always appreciated the launch of a game and seeing the positive responses from the fanbase.

IG: There’s nothing like the feeling of launch day. What did you study in school and how has your career led you to where you are today?

JM: I got a bachelor's degree in Game Art & Design from the IL Institute of Art. While the courses served mostly as a general idea of what to expect from game development, I feel like I wouldn’t have gotten my first industry job in QA without this experience.

IG: Your experience with so many aspects of game dev makes you a great teammate. Speaking of teams, did you grow up playing any sports? Have those interests stuck with you as an adult?

JM: I was a competitive swimmer and water polo player in high school, and while I do still enjoy swimming, I no longer play any competitive sports. Water Polo was the most fun I had in any sport I played!

‍IG:  The team spirit lives on in your contributions at IG. What has been your favorite project to work on at IG?

JM: At Iron Galaxy we get to work on a lot of games, but if I had to pin it down to just one specific game, I’d have to say Diablo 2: Resurrected for the Switch because it was the first game I got to work on as a Producer and Diablo 2 also happens to be a game that I grew up on and could argue that franchise is one of the biggest reasons I got into this industry! Getting to work with Blizzard was always a dream of mine and I finally got that opportunity through IG! Here’s a celebratory picture from launch day.

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IG: What a full circle moment. We’ve got one follow-up question and some context for our readers. When wrapping a project at IG, we have pins designed and produced for the contributors of each project. If you were to design the project pin for D2R, what would it feature?

JM: If I were to design a project pin for it, it would end up being Deckard Cain with a text bubble that said “Stay awhile and listen!”

IG: Spoken like a true D2 player and developer. Celebrity question from the Production Team! What’s your opinion on the transition to cloud-based JIRA?

JM: While I understand WHY we had to make the move from server to cloud, I feel like it’s more restrictive!

IG: That’s a Q&A for producers alright. Aside from playing video games, what is a favorite hobby of yours?

JM: I am a huge movie buff and do a lot of reading in my spare time!

IG: What’s your favorite book or series?

JM: I would have to say it’s a tie between A Song of Ice and Fire or The Expanse. More recently, I’ve really gotten into the Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo (only two books currently, but I do hope it continues!)! Also, I do have a Goodreads profile! I’m always doing their annual book challenge! If interested in following, here’s my profile.

IG: Name a scene from a movie that makes you cry, every time…

JM: Grave of the Fireflies. The entire final act basically...

IG: What’s something you have always wanted to create?

JM: Piggy backing off my movie buff note above, I’ve started learning more about scriptwriting! I’d love to write at least one screenplay in my lifetime, even if it never gets greenlit, just something so I can say “I finally did it!” I have a lot of stories I want to tell so keep an eye out on IMDb! My time will come soon!

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‍IG: We’ll have to loop you into our next VO or lore writing sessions for future projects then! If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

JM: A good hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup! I love a good bowl of soup!

IG: You’d always be prepared for the common cold. What’s your favorite travel destination that you’ve visited?

JM: Definitely Las Vegas! Not necessarily to gamble, although I do like playing Poker, but I also really like seeing the Las Vegas strip at night from a rooftop bar and the weather (at least when it’s not insanely dry during the summer)!

IG: What was the last concert you saw?

JM: Avenged Sevenfold with Shinedown and Saving Abel in 2008.

IG: What movie have you seen the most times?

JM: Ghostbusters!

IG: Now we know who to call if there’s something strange in the studio. You get one wish. You can’t wish for more wishes. What do you wish for?

JM: Assuming there’s no tricky monkeys paw irony happening, I’d just take a few million dollars.

IG: Solid, simple answer. Given a time machine, which historical period would you like to experience first-hand?

JM: The 1800s westward expansion or Victorian era London!

IG: What fictional universe would you choose over our own?

JM: Last Action Hero because I’d get to visit any movie world I wanted!

IG: Which historical figure would you want to show the modern world? What do you think they’d say?

JM: Probably Albert Einstein... I’d want to hear what he has to say about modern technology and what he thought about the movie Interstellar.

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‍Your curiosity of one of history’s most brilliant minds is shared with many! Interstellar and technology are what they are thanks to him and would likely be influenced even more if he was still around today. Thanks for the tour of your career at IG and the things that intrigue you. It’s fun whenever we get to learn about the games we play, before they’re released to the world, and the people who help make those games a reality for the public. Good luck on your current and future projects!

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