Catalyst Game Labs Announces Executive Editor, New BattleTech and Leviathans Line Developers

Lake Stevens, WA (Sept. 13, 2019) – Catalyst Game Labs announced today the appointments of a new Executive Editor and new line developers for BattleTech and Leviathans, building on the momentum of the company’s recent success with the BattleTech: Clan Invasion Kickstarter campaign.

As new BattleTech and Shadowrun fiction bursts forth, John Helfers will move into a full-time role as Catalyst’s Executive Editor, charged with continuing his reinvigoration and growth of fiction across both universes and other Catalyst properties.

“From the beginning of my career at Catalyst Game Labs, we’ve always been working toward the goal to rebuild both the BattleTech and Shadowrun fiction lines, both by bringing the older books back into print and creating new stories in these great worlds,” Helfers said. “I’m thrilled to be expanding my role with Catalyst to make the fiction lines what I had envisioned them to be when I first came on board, and expanding them to reach as many readers as possible.”

Ray Arrastia, previously the BattleTech Assistant Line Developer, will step into the role of BattleTech Line Developer. He takes over the position from Brent Evans, who will remain Catalyst’s Senior Art Director and continue to oversee art and design across the company’s full range of gaming products. The position of BattleTech Assistant Line Developer will remain vacant at this time.

A versatile graphic designer, production manager and game developer, Arrastia is also a co-founder of CamoSpecs, a community of elite artists whose talents have graced BattleTech miniatures since 2003.

“BattleTech has been a major part of my life, and I hope to direct the line with the same love and enthusiasm that I have for the game and universe as all the past Line Developers have had,” Arrastia said. “I’m honored to take the helm and am excited for what the future holds for all of us BattleTech fans.”

Finally, the upcoming relaunch of Leviathans has a new captain at the helm, with the selection of Bryn Bills as Line Developer. Bills will steer the Kickstarter campaign for Leviathans: The Great War, launching summer 2020.

“In many ways, Bryn was the unsung hero of the initial Leviathans,” said Catalyst Game Labs Managing Director Randall N. Bills. “Even at 14 and 15 he was frightfully good at tearing game designs down and figuring out the problems and potential solutions. And his enthusiasm for Leviathans always matched my own and often exceeded it, as he kept the ships afloat several times during those dark days of Free Taiwan.”

Explore Catalyst’s innovative games at store.catalystgamelabs.com. BattleTech is produced by Catalyst Game Labs under license from The Topps Company, Inc. For more information, please visit bg.BattleTech.com. Stay up to date on the return of Leviathans at www.monstersinthesky.com.