BUILT BY GAME
DEVELOPMENT LEADERS.

Second Unit is built around experienced game development leaders who have shipped successful games, led multidisciplinary teams, solved difficult production problems, and worked directly with publishers and development partners. They understand the pressures studio leaders face because they’ve lived them.

JEFF LITCHFORD
Founder & CEO

Jeff Litchford is a game development executive with more than 30 years of experience building teams, solving complex problems, and shipping games across console, PC, and mobile.

Before founding Second Unit, Jeff spent two decades at Idol Minds and Deck Nine Games, where he served as Producer, Vice President of Production, and ultimately Chief Operating Officer. He led multidisciplinary development organizations of more than 100 people and oversaw projects ranging from original titles to major games developed in partnership with some of the industry’s leading publishers.

Jeff founded Second Unit around a simple idea: successful games shouldn’t have to compete for resources with the games that come next. By giving studios an experienced team that can take ownership of meaningful development work, Second Unit helps clients continue investing in the games their players love while keeping their core teams focused on the future.

MARK LYONS
Chief Technology Officer

Mark Lyons is a game development entrepreneur and technology leader with over three decades of experience building studios, teams, and the technical foundation behind game production.

Mark founded Idol Minds in 1997, the studio that later became Deck Nine Games, and helped guide its growth and evolution over nearly three decades. Throughout that time, he played a central role in the technology, tools, infrastructure, and development practices that supported the studio and its games.

As Second Unit’s CTO, Mark leads technology strategy, development infrastructure, and information security. He works closely with our engineering teams and clients to solve technical challenges, establish secure development environments, and ensure Second Unit can integrate effectively into existing production pipelines.