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ABOUT ME

I’ve spent my career at inflection points in interactive entertainment.

From early camera-based experimentation at PlayStation London Studio to narrative-driven VR at Maze Theory, I’ve worked where technology and storytelling collide. I’m driven by one question:

How does technology disappear and leave only presence?

I don’t build tech demos.
I build worlds that feel inhabited.

As Chief Creative Officer, I lead multidisciplinary teams across design, narrative, engineering and performance, aligning creative ambition with commercial reality.

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"Technology is only interesting when it disappears"
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Speaking & Media

I speak at global conferences on the future of immersive storytelling, from AAA console development to VR, XR, and AI-driven worlds.
 

My focus: how technology reshapes narrative, and how franchises evolve across platforms.

Global Conferences & Tech Forums

  • E3 Playstaion Conference

    • Wonderbook: Book of Spells (PlayStation)

    • Eyepet - The Virtual Pet (PlayStation)

  • Gamescom 2013- Storytelling in games (PlayStation)

  • GDC – Generative AI in Game Worlds (with Amazon)

  • EGX – Barclays Stage

  • EGX – Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom

  • MCM Comicon- London- Doctor Who 

  • WASD London – Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom

  • PAX EAST- Boston

  • La Biennale di Venezia- Venice Immersive 

  • Next World Forum – Riyadh

  • London Tech Week

  • GoTech World – Bucharest

  • Pocket Gamer Connects (London & Digital)

    • The STORYVERSE: Gaming Within the Metaverse

    • Innovation & Technology Track

    • Soft Launch / Publishing discussions

  • Beyond Games: Transmedia Summit – Barbican

  • Guildford.Games Festival

  • NFT.NYC / NFT London – Gaming Track

  • Vienna Design Week – SUBOTRON

  • VR World Congress

 
Academic
  • Alliance Manchester Business School
    MBA Workshop – Design Thinking, Creativity & Co-Creation

  • Royal Hollway - Story Future

  • York University - Immersive Media 

  • Goldsmiths, University of London

  • BAFTA - Augmented Reality  

 
Broadcast & Podcasts

 

SELECTED AWARDS & FESTIVAL RECOGNITION

 

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow

  • DICE Awards – Nominee

  • AUSTXR Festival – Best Virtual Reality Gaming

Infinite Inside

  • TIGA Awards – Best VR/AR/XR/MR Game

  • TIGA Awards – Best Puzzle Game

  • TIGA Awards – Best Creativity

Peaky Blinders: The King's Ransom

  • Official Selection – Venice Immersive

  • VR Awards – Finalist, Best AR/VR Game

Doctor Who: The Edge of Time

  • Official Selection – Venice Immersive

  • Raindance Immersive – Finalist, Best Game

Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins

  • Pocket Gamer Awards – Finalist, People's Choice

  • Official Selection – London Games Festival

Wonderbook: Book of Spells

  • Develop Awards – Winner, Most Original Game

  • Develop Awards – Winner, Audio Accomplishment

  • BAFTA Awards – Nominee, Game Innovation

EyePet

  • BAFTA Awards – Nominee, Best New IP / Visual Arts

  • BAFTA Awards – Nominee, Family & Social

The Chainsmokers - Paris VR

  • Raindance Award – Best Branded Experience

Maze Theory

  • VR Awards – Finalist, Rising VR Company of the Year (2019)

 

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Selected Press Coverage

Edge Magazine — Issue #401 (2024)
Feature Coverage: Infinite Inside​

Available in print (Issue #401).

PC Gamer (2025)
Thief VR producer says VR is a natural fit for an immersive sim. 
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/vr/thief-vr-producer-says-vr-is-a-natural-fit-for-an-immersive-sim

GameSpot (2022)
Peaky Blinders VR Game Will Be Authentic To Show, Developer Promises.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/peaky-blinders-vr-game-will-be-authentic-to-show-developer-promises/1100-6500911

Industry & Business Media

GamesBeat (2024)
Maze Theory’s Infinite Inside mixed-reality debut
Interview on cross-platform MR strategy and immersive design direction.
https://gamesbeat.com/maze-theorys-mysterious-infinite-inside-mixed-reality-game-debuts-on-july-12

 

MCV/Develop (2022)
Q&A — Russell Harding on Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom.
https://mcvuk.com/business-news/qa-russell-harding-chief-creative-officer-at-maze-theory-on-peaky-blinders-the-kings-ransom

Meta Blog (2025)
Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow — Developer Interview
https://www.meta.com/blog/thief-vr-legacy-of-shadow-interview

 
Specialist XR & VR Media

The Sixth Axis (2024)
How Infinite Inside blends augmented and virtual reality.
https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2024/07/05/how-infinite-inside-blends-augmented-and-virtual-reality-on-quest-vision-pro-and-beyond

UploadVR (2022–2023)
Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom — Developer Interviews & Previews
https://www.uploadvr.com/peaky-blinders-vr-interview

 

XR Must Magazine (2024)
Interview – Russ Harding (The Infinite Inside)
https://xrmust.com/xrmagazine/russ-harding-the-infinite-inside

 

TechStomper (2023)
Peaky Blinders VR Interview
https://techstomper.com/peaky-blinders-the-kings-ransom-interview-maze-theory-cco-russ-harding-speaks

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25 years of making games

Contact Me.

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© 2018 by RUSSELL HARDING CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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