leadership change Archives

AppWizard

May 14, 2026

Ubisoft’s leak-a-thon continues with a dump of Assassin’s Creed Hexe info that hints at the return of a familiar ‘old man’

Fresh details about Assassin's Creed Hexe, described by Ubisoft as a "darker" addition to the franchise, have emerged from leaker "Rogue" on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit. The game will primarily take place in Würzburg, Germany, during the witch trials in 1625, with the city serving as the core environment for gameplay. Ubisoft recently underwent a leadership change in the Assassin's Creed team, with Jean Guesdon becoming head of content and game director Benoit Richer exiting the project. There has been little information released about Hexe, especially in light of Ubisoft's promotion of the upcoming Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake.

Winsage

May 7, 2026

Windows 11 pulls back AI as Microsoft plans to remove Copilot where it doesn’t meet its promise

Microsoft is shifting its approach to AI features, particularly with the Copilot tool. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced plans to retire Copilot on mobile and halt its development on consoles, a move supported by Jacob Andreou, the Executive Vice President of Copilot. This decision aligns with Microsoft's commitment to improving Windows quality and reducing AI overload, as indicated by the removal of the "Ask Copilot" button and the rebranding of the Copilot logo in applications. Despite challenges faced by Windows 11, including bugs and performance issues, Copilot has seen success in the enterprise sector, with over 20 million subscribers. The launch of Apple's MacBook Neo has further pressured Microsoft to enhance Windows quality. Moving forward, Copilot is being repositioned as an enterprise tool rather than a consumer-facing product, while Microsoft continues to develop AI capabilities for corporate use.

AppWizard

May 1, 2026

Subnautica 2 now has a firm early access launch date, and it’s really soon

Subnautica 2 is set to launch into early access on May 14. The game's development has faced turmoil between studio Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton, including a leadership change at Unknown Worlds and a delay of the early access release to 2026. Krafton previously suggested that releasing the game in 2025 could cause "irreversible harm to the entire franchise," a statement that was later retracted. Subnautica 2 is currently the most wishlisted game on Steam.

AppWizard

March 18, 2026

Subnautica 2 set for early access release in May as Krafton signals surrender: ‘We look forward to working with Ted Gill to support a smooth transition and work toward a successful launch’

Krafton announced that Subnautica 2 will enter early access in May. This announcement follows a leadership change at Unknown Worlds, with Ted Gill set to reclaim his position as CEO. Steve Papoutsis, the current head of Unknown Worlds, expressed gratitude to the team for their hard work on the game. The early access launch is anticipated to lead to a full release in 2025. Krafton faces a financial obligation related to a 0 million bonus tied to the leadership dispute, with the deadline extended until September 15, 2026. Papoutsis highlighted the importance of collaborating with Gill for a smooth transition.

AppWizard

October 22, 2025

Tero Virtala steps down as Remedy CEO

Tero Virtala has stepped down as CEO of Remedy Entertainment, effective immediately. Markus Mäki, a founder and board member since 1995, will serve as interim CEO. Virtala led the company since 2016, focusing on independence and reducing reliance on third-party partnerships, resulting in the launch of the game Control in 2019. Under his leadership, Remedy secured publishing rights for Control and the Alan Wake series. However, the company faced challenges in 2025 with the release of its first multiplayer game, FBC: Control, which did not meet performance expectations, leading to a profit warning issued in October.

AppWizard

October 16, 2025

Ben Brinkman returns to 2K to head up 31st Union

2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman as the new studio head of 31st Union, following the departure of Michael Condrey in February 2025. Brinkman has a background with EA, Activision, and Respawn Entertainment, and previously worked at 2K from 2006 to 2008. The studio is currently developing Project Ethos, with community feedback from a playtest last fall influencing its direction. Company president David Ismailer expressed optimism about the project and noted that confidence in it is growing.

AppWizard

October 7, 2025

Unannounced sequel to this 82% rated Aliens co-op game appears on US ratings board out of nowhere

The gaming community is speculating about a potential sequel to the 2021 title, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, as a page for Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 has appeared on the ESRB website, listing Daybreak Game Company as the publisher. Cold Iron Studios hinted at a new project last September, but did not confirm it as a sequel. The ESRB has assigned an M for Mature rating to the game, indicating readiness and suggesting that an official announcement may be forthcoming. The sequel is anticipated for release in 2025.

AppWizard

August 14, 2025

Coatsink’s founders are leaving the company

Coatsink, an indie game development studio, is undergoing a leadership change as its founding trio—CEO Tom Beardsmore, CDO Paul Crabb, and COO Eddie Beardsmore—will step down from their roles by the end of the year after 14 years. Richard Snowdon, who has been with Coatsink since 2015 and served as head of studio since 2022, will become the new CEO. Snowdon has prior experience at Eutechnyx, Double Eleven, and Accenture.

AppWizard

July 14, 2025

DICE and Goodbye Kansas vet Loving takes over LEGO game arm

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

Industry vet Papoutsis is Unknown Worlds new CEO

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.