leadership change

AppWizard
July 14, 2025
Fredrik Loving has been appointed as the Senior Vice President and global head of LEGO's gaming division. He previously served as president at Spin Master for over five years and has experience at Rovio and DICE, where he worked on the Battlefield franchise. Loving founded Goodbye Kansas in 2017 but left after two years. LEGO is shifting its video games division in-house, moving away from reliance on licensing agreements.
AppWizard
July 8, 2025
Krafton has appointed Steve Papoutsis as the new CEO of Unknown Worlds, replacing co-founders Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire. Papoutsis, who has experience from Crystal Dynamics and Visceral Games, joined Krafton in 2019 through Striking Distance Studios. Krafton CEO CH Kim emphasized the importance of delivering an exceptional gaming experience, particularly with the upcoming release of Subnautica 2. Papoutsis expressed his commitment to enhancing the player experience and acknowledged the contributions of the previous leadership.
AppWizard
July 4, 2025
Matt Firor is stepping down as president of ZeniMax Online Studios after 18 years. He will be succeeded by studio head Jo Burba, executive producer Susan Kath, and game director Rich Lambert. Firor expressed confidence in the new leadership team, which has been involved in significant expansions for Elder Scrolls Online. The transition occurs alongside restructuring at ZeniMax, including the cancellation of an MMO project called Blackbird. Firor joined ZeniMax in 2007 and his departure signifies a major change for the studio.
AppWizard
June 11, 2025
Phil Rogers will become the CEO of Embracer Group on August 1st, succeeding Lars Wingefors, who will transition to executive chair of the board in September. Rogers joined Embracer in 2022 and previously served as deputy CEO, leading Crystal Dynamics and Plaion. Kicki Wallje-Lund will take on the role of deputy chair. This leadership change follows the recent announcement of the spin-off of Coffee Stain into an independent entity.
AppWizard
April 24, 2025
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 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
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
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 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
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.
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