leadership change Archives

AppWizard

April 24, 2025

Discord replaces CEO Citron with Activision vet Sakhnini

Jason Citron, the CEO and co-founder of Discord, is stepping down from his leadership role, with Humam Sakhnini, the former chief strategy officer at Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty, taking over. Citron will remain involved as a board member and advisor. This leadership change is part of Discord's strategic plans to eventually go public. Sakhnini expressed enthusiasm about joining Discord and emphasized the platform's importance in the gaming community.

AppWizard

March 28, 2025

Warner reportedly axes Hogwarts Legacy expansion

Warner Bros has halted the development of an expansion for Hogwarts Legacy due to concerns that the amount of content did not justify the proposed price. The expansion was being developed by Avalanche Software in collaboration with Rocksteady Studios. Rocksteady has faced challenges, including layoffs and ceasing support for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which contributed to Warner Bros' admission of underperformance in its gaming division. The company also decided to close three studios, including Monolith Productions, and experienced a leadership change with the departure of gaming division head David Haddad.

AppWizard

March 19, 2025

Bossa co-CEO Clough steps down

Daniel Clough, co-CEO of Bossa Studios, announced his departure from the company via LinkedIn. He joined Bossa in 2018 as general manager and became co-CEO in January 2021. His tenure included navigating challenges in the gaming industry, leading to a significant downsizing of the studio in preparation for the release of their upcoming title, Lost Skies. Clough noted that the studio's new size necessitated a restructuring. His departure is part of a broader leadership change, with several team members also leaving. Bossa recently implemented job cuts as part of ongoing adjustments to industry dynamics.

AppWizard

March 7, 2025

Pullup promotes Geoffroy Sardin to CEO

French publisher PullUp Entertainment has appointed Geoffroy Sardin as its new chief executive officer. Sardin joined the company in early 2024 as deputy CEO and has nearly 26 years of experience at Ubisoft. He expressed gratitude to Fabrice Larue and the Board of Directors and emphasized the importance of quality in the company’s AA and Indie games. Sardin aims to maintain the successful strategy while enhancing the organization’s maturity and discipline, with plans for an ambitious launch in the upcoming fiscal year. Executive chairman Fabrice Larue recognized Sardin's significant impact on the company, particularly in increasing live content and effectively structuring creative studios. Sardin was instrumental in the successful launch of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.

AppWizard

February 14, 2025

Koei Tecmo’s new CEO is Hisashi Koinuma

Koei Tecmo has appointed Hisashi Koinuma as its new chief executive officer, effective April 1st, 2025. The company is undergoing a strategic restructuring, dividing into two entities: Koei Tecmo Games and Koei Tecmo Corporate Finance. This transition aims to streamline operations and enhance focus on core competencies, with the goal of becoming the world’s leading digital entertainment company. The new management structure will take effect in the fiscal year 2025.

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

‘Change is never easy’: Minecraft studio Mojang announces studio head switch

Åsa Bredin has stepped down as studio head of Mojang to focus on personal goals. She had been in the role since 2023 after joining the company two years earlier. Kayleen Walters, currently vice president and head of franchise development at Microsoft, will take over as the new head of Mojang. Walters has extensive experience, including a 13-year tenure at Lucasfilm as vice president of franchise marketing and integrated planning. She will be based in Redmond, Washington, and will frequently travel to Stockholm. Microsoft Studios COO Helen Chiang expressed confidence in the team's ability to adapt to this leadership change.

AppWizard

February 10, 2025

2K has fired 31st Union boss Michael Condrey

2K Games has parted ways with Michael Condrey, the president of studio 31st Union, effective February 3rd, due to concerns about player engagement with the upcoming online multiplayer title, Project Ethos. Despite his departure, 2K Games remains committed to Project Ethos and the 31st Union team, with Condrey expected to stay involved in an advisory role. 31st Union was founded by Condrey in February 2019, and he previously co-founded Sledgehammer Games, known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise.

AppWizard

November 12, 2024

Avalanche and King vet Holfve is Raw Fury’s new CEO

Pim Holfve has been appointed as the new CEO of Raw Fury, succeeding founder Jónas Antonsson, who will now lead Raw Fury's parent company, Combined Effort. Holfve has experience from Avalanche Studios and King, and he aims to build on Raw Fury's successful formula. Antonsson expressed confidence in Holfve's leadership abilities and plans to engage with all companies within Combined Effort.

AppWizard

October 17, 2024

Google announces big reorg: Gemini app team moves to DeepMind, Assistant now part of Pixel/Android

Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a reorganization involving the Gemini, Assistant, and Search teams to enhance operational efficiency and innovation. The Gemini app team will move from the Knowledge & Information division to the Google DeepMind organization to improve feedback loops and expedite new model rollouts. The Assistant teams focused on devices will be reassigned to the Platforms & Devices division to consolidate AI-powered home initiatives. Prabhakar Raghavan will step down as chief of Google Search to become Chief Technologist, collaborating with Pichai on technical direction. Nick Fox will take over the Knowledge & Information division as Senior Vice President, leveraging his experience to drive innovation.

AppWizard

August 23, 2024

Bungie’s pre-Halo FPS Classic Marathon Infinity just launched on Steam for free, meaning you can now play the entire Marathon trilogy for the low price of nothing

Marathon Infinity has been released on Steam, allowing players to access all three games in the Marathon series for free. Originally launched in 1996, it includes the "Blood Tides of Lh'owon" campaign with 20 levels and new enemies. The Aleph One team has rebuilt the Marathon trilogy for modern systems, with enhancements like widescreen HUDs and 60+fps interpolation, supported by Bungie. This marks the first official release of the trilogy on Windows, although the games were previously available on the Aleph One website. Bungie is also developing a new entry in the series, planned for release in 2025 after facing development challenges and restructuring.