I’m Michael Mumbauer, a creative leader, entrepreneur, and technologist who’s spent more than two decades working at the intersection of games, film, and emerging technology. Storytelling has always been at the center of what I do—especially stories that pull people in emotionally and make them feel part of something bigger.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of helping shape franchises like The Last of Us, Uncharted, and God of War at PlayStation, projects that pushed cinematic storytelling and character development in games. I’ve also worked in film, collaborating with Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis on early performance-capture features that helped lay the foundation for today’s virtual production.

Today, I’m the founder and CEO of Liithos, where I focus on building narrative-driven worlds designed to evolve over time. Alongside John Garvin, I’m creating Trace War, a connected universe that blends gameplay, technology, and story in new ways. I’m wired for progress and actively explore tools like generative AI to help creative teams move faster and imagine more—always in service of meaningful, lasting stories.