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This Week in Pinball·article·analyzed·Mar 13, 2026

Analysis

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TL;DR

Pinball industry talent war heats up as manufacturers hire homebrew creators and operators.

Summary

This Week in Pinball reports on a talent influx in the pinball industry, with major hires at American Pinball (Rob Rath, Nick Neitzel), Barrels of Fun (Kyle Smet), and Multimorphic (Kevin Manne) suggesting industry growth rather than decline. Texas Pinball Festival (March 20-22) is expected to see potential announcements from American Pinball, Jersey Jack, and others, though the reveal schedule may be quieter than typical. Pokémon Pro machines have a documented ball guide issue on Bulbasaur lane that Stern has internally addressed, and the IFPA expanded its competitive staff.

Key Claims

Rob Rath (The Electric Playground co-founder) joins American Pinball as Product Director while remaining GM of TEP
high confidence · This Week in Pinball reported the full story earlier in the week; Rath stays on at TEP as it expands to 4,000 sq ft and doubles production lines
Nick Neitzel, creator of Tony Hawk's Pro Pinball (2024 TWIPY Homebrew Game of the Year), joins American Pinball as Product Designer
high confidence · Announced by American Pinball; Neitzel will work with Creative Director Melvin Williams on remakes and original titles
Kyle Smet, creator of Big Trouble in Little China homebrew, was recently hired by Barrels of Fun
high confidence · Mentioned as part of broader talent acquisition trend in the industry
Pokémon Pro models have a left feed issue with a misinstalled orbit ball guide on Bulbasaur lane
high confidence · Operators reported the issue; George Gomez (Stern) publicly stated it has been addressed internally but hasn't reached the market yet
American Pinball rumored to announce Cirqus Voltaire remake at Texas Pinball Festival
medium confidence · Speculation based on rumor mill; noted as first title under new ownership
Dennis Nordman Whitewater sequel is rumored to be in development
low confidence · Mentioned as a possibility for TPF reveals from Turner, but highly speculative
Jack Guarnieri (Jersey Jack) is rumored to have Sonic the Hedgehog pinball in development with Steve Ritchie
medium confidence · Described as 'rumors' that 'haven't died down'; Guarnieri known for surprise reveals (Harry Potter)
World Pinball is not on the Texas Pinball Festival exhibitor list, so their rumored Resident Evil game won't be there
high confidence · Directly observed from exhibitor floor map; inference about Resident Evil reveal timing is speculative

Notable Quotes

“But the AP news might be indicative of a bigger trend in the industry... there's a quiet war for talent happening at the fringes.”
Will O'Neill (This Week in Pinball) — Frames the broader industry talent acquisition as a sign of growth, not decline
“For anyone pushing the 'pinball is dying' narrative (counter-narratives, right?), this looks a lot more like an industry that's ramping up.”
Will O'Neill — Directly counters popular pessimism about the industry with evidence of growth
“George Gomez has publicly stated that the issue has been addressed internally at Stern, but obviously, that fix hasn't had time to get out into the market yet.”
Will O'Neill (reporting on George Gomez statement) — Documents acknowledgment and internal resolution of Pokémon Pro manufacturing defect
“If it's something that requires a more serious fix, look to recent history with Star Wars: Fall of the Empire and the Death Star shot fix for how things could play out.”
Will O'Neill — Historical parallel for how major manufacturing issues are typically resolved across game updates
“What might happen instead is a quieter TPF where people get quality time with the hyped new releases — Beetlejuice, Pokémon — rather than chasing a dozen new announcements.”
Will O'Neill — Prediction that Texas Pinball Festival 2025 may prioritize engagement with current releases over new announcements

Entities

Rob RathpersonNick NeitzelpersonKyle SmetpersonKevin MannepersonMelvin Williamsperson George GomezpersonNoah CrablepersonJack Guarnieriperson

Signals

?
personnel_signal: American Pinball hires Rob Rath (Product Director) and Nick Neitzel (Product Designer); Barrels of Fun hires Kyle Smet; Multimorphic hires Kevin Manne. Pattern suggests accelerating talent war for homebrew creators and adjacent industry talent.
high · Rob Rath joins AP as Product Director; Nick Neitzel (2024 TWIPY Homebrew GOTY) joins as Product Designer; Kyle Smet hired by Barrels of Fun; Kevin Manne hired by Multimorphic from Buffalo Pinball; Will O'Neill notes hiring activity 'seems to be increasing' across multiple areas including mods, accessories, and content creators.
?
product_concern: Pokémon Pro machines have a documented ball guide installation issue on Bulbasaur lane that protrudes into the lane itself, affecting left feed. Stern has internally addressed the issue but fix has not yet reached market.
high · Operators reported left feed issue with misinstalled orbit ball guide; George Gomez (Stern) publicly confirmed internal fix; paralleled to Star Wars: Fall of the Empire Death Star shot fix for resolution pathway.
?
business_signal: Multiple hiring moves across manufacturers (AP, Barrels of Fun, Multimorphic) suggest industry is ramping up rather than declining, contradicting 'pinball is dying' narratives.
high · Will O'Neill states: 'For anyone pushing the pinball is dying narrative... this looks a lot more like an industry that's ramping up.' Notes hiring from homebrew, mods, accessories, and content creation areas is increasing.
?
event_signal: Texas Pinball Festival (March 20-22, 2025) expected to have quieter announcement schedule than typical; focus on engagement with existing releases (Beetlejuice, Pokémon) rather than multiple new reveals.
medium · Will O'Neill predicts: 'What might happen instead is a quieter TPF where people get quality time with the hyped new releases — Beetlejuice, Pokémon — rather than chasing a dozen new announcements.' Notes World Pinball, Pedretti not on exhibitor list.

Topics

Industry Talent Acquisition & HiringprimaryTexas Pinball Festival 2025 Announcements & ExpectationsprimaryPokémon Pinball Manufacturing & Quality IssuesprimaryHomebrew-to-Professional PipelineprimaryCompetitive Pinball Growth & IFPA ExpansionsecondaryRumored Upcoming Game AnnouncementssecondaryIndustry Growth vs. Decline NarrativesecondaryKineticist Platform Expansion & Content Strategymentioned

Sentiment

neutral(0)

Transcript

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Pinball News of the Week Is a Pinball Talent War Heating Up? Rob Rath and Nick Neitzel are joining American Pinball. We published the full story earlier this week. The short version: Rath, co-founder of The Electric Playground, takes on a Product Director role while Neitzel — whose homebrew Tony Hawk's Pro Pinball won the 2024 TWIPY Homebrew Game of the Year — steps in as Product Designer. They'll work alongside Creative Director Melvin Williams on what AP describes as "a slate of remakes and original titles." Unusually, Rath also stays on as GM of TEP simultaneously, with TEP expanding to 4,000 square feet and doubling production lines to handle the increased workload. But the AP news might be indicative of a bigger trend in the industry. Granted, AP is in startup mode, but there's a quiet war for talent happening at the fringes. Barrels of Fun recently brought on Kyle Smet, the creator of the Big Trouble in Little China homebrew. Multimorphic hired Kevin Manne from Buffalo Pinball. Homebrew has always been a solid pipeline into the industry, but the rate of hiring activity seems to be increasing — and we're seeing more people get pulled in from other areas, too, like mods, accessories, and content creators. I'm way more networked than I used to be, but it sure does feel like a lot of people in my orbit are getting industry jobs lately. For anyone pushing the "pinball is dying" narrative (counter-narratives, right?), this looks a lot more like an industry that's ramping up. Who's next? What to Expect at Texas Pinball Festival TPF runs March 20-22 in Frisco, and normally, this is where we see a wave of new reveals and announcements for the first part of the year. This year? Could be quiet. Here's what I'm watching. HEXA is launching Three Musketeers — we got an invite to their release event in France, and I wish I could have made that work, but they will be stateside at TPF with their new game too. American Pinball has real energy heading into the fest, and if they're ready to announce their first title under new ownership (the rumor mill points to a Cirqus Voltaire remake), this is the stage for it. Could we see something from Turner? Maybe the rumored Whitewater sequel from Dennis Nordman? Jack Guarnieri loves a surprise reveal — he pulled it off with Harry Potter — and the Steve Ritchie / Sonic the Hedgehog rumors haven't died down. If Guarnieri has something up his sleeve, this is where we could hear about it. On the other hand, World Pinball isn't on the exhibitor floor map, so I wouldn't expect their rumored Resident Evil game to be there. I don't think we'll get anything new from Barrels of Fun. I'd heard whispers of CGC trying to be ready with a Halo reveal at TPF, but I wouldn't put much weight on it. Pedretti is due for an announcement, but they're not on the exhibitor list either. What might happen instead is a quieter TPF where people get quality time with the hyped new releases — Beetlejuice, Pokémon — rather than chasing a dozen new announcements. Pokémon's Bulbasaur Lane Problem Operators receiving Pokémon Pro models have been reporting a left feed issue — a misinstalled orbit ball guide on the Bulbasaur lane that protrudes into the lane itself. George Gomez has publicly stated that the issue has been addressed internally at Stern, but obviously, that fix hasn’t had time to get out into the market yet. If it's something that requires a more serious fix, look to recent history with Star Wars: Fall of the Empire and the Death Star shot fix for how things could play out. New Pokémon Tutorial Is Live Not all Pokémon news is ball guides and production snafus. Noah Crable published a full tutorial over on Kineticist — skill shots, story modes, catching mechanics, Team Rocket multiball, the works. If you’re heading out to your local spot to play the game this weekend and want to know what to shoot for, start there. TWIPY Behind the Scenes (and Nudge 6 Is Here) I joined the BASH crew and Ian from Nudge on the BASH Pinball podcast this week to talk TWIPY behind the scenes and share some Pokémon impressions. Fun hang as always. Speaking of Ian — Nudge 6 dropped this week. The limited edition ($40) comes signed and numbered with a screen-printed Bad Cats poster by Ryan Tanner Petch, a joke book from Ian, and a sticker pack. Pinball horoscopes, a travel piece on Dutch pinball, an Akira game feature, and the usual Nudge weirdness. I’ve already got my copy on order. IFPA Adds Two New Team Members The IFPA announced two new staff additions this week. Christina Capra, the North Carolina state representative for women's competitive pinball, comes from the Cape Fear Flipper club and Charlotte's Abari league. Emily Cosson is an Australian competitive player who hosts the Australian Pinball Open alongside her dad, John Cosson (and Kineticist contributor!), and started a Belles & Chimes league in Brisbane. More people doing the work of growing the competitive scene — fits the theme of the week. A Note for Paid Subscribers I'm hoping to have a new Moving Units update for you next week. I've been doing a ton of tech work behind the scenes — improving our data collection and tracking for the series — and I'm still getting on top of it. I'm also in the middle of migrating and rebuilding all of Kineticist onto a new platform and tech stack, which is eating a lot of my time, but I'm really excited about what it should enable. There are things I've always wanted to do with this site that technical limitations have held back. More soon (I hope — tech work rarely goes as planned). We're Looking for More Writers So in the years I’ve been running Kineticist, I’ve never actually put out a formal call for contributors like this. Usually, they come in through friends or general word of mouth. That said, we're looking to expand our writer pool at Kineticist. We love our current team of contributors, but there's always an opportunity to do more, and it’s always good to know who is out there and interested in these things. What we're looking for: pinball and arcade culture coverage with a business lens. Location pinball, homebrew, the mod scene, interviews. We're also open to new beats in adjacent spaces — toys, gaming, music, movies, pop culture. If you've got a creative pitch, we want to hear it. This is paid work — we start at a flat rate of $50 per post, and we're open to discussing custom arrangements as needed. We prefer writers who can commit to a regular schedule over one-offs, though we'll consider those too. If any of this sounds like you, email [email protected] (prior writing samples appreciated).