leadership transition

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
June 6, 2025
Tencent has acquired a 15.75 percent stake in Arrowhead Games, valuing the studio at SEK 5.1 billion (approximately .8 million). The founders of Arrowhead Games retain 84.24 percent ownership. Arrowhead reported a turnover of SEK 959 million ([openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Chinese tech and entertainment titan Tencent has made a significant move in the gaming industry by acquiring a 15.75 percent stake in Arrowhead Games, the developer behind the popular title Helldivers 2. According to Swedish media outlet DI, Tencent's investment amounts to million, which places a valuation of SEK 5.1 billion (approximately 2.8 million) on Arrowhead. The founders of Arrowhead Games—Johan Pilestedt, Emil Englund, Malin Hedstrom, Peter Lindgren, and Anton Stenmark—retain the remaining 84.24 percent ownership of the studio. This strategic partnership not only underscores Tencent's growing influence in the gaming sector but also highlights Arrowhead's impressive financial performance, with a reported turnover of SEK 959 million (0.2 million) and a profit of SEK 729 million (.2 million). Success of Helldivers 2 Arrowhead's latest release, Helldivers 2, launched at the beginning of 2024, has garnered substantial acclaim, dominating the Steam charts for four consecutive weeks. Johan Pilestedt, the studio's chief creative officer and former CEO, expressed his pride in the team's accomplishments, stating, "It's fantastic fun, and I feel incredibly proud of what the team has managed to achieve. Above all, it's proof that what we do resonates with the player base." In discussing the implications of the Tencent partnership, Pilestedt remarked, "It also opens up opportunities for China as a market. Gaining access to the Chinese player base is the holy grail in the gaming industry." This sentiment reflects a broader trend in the gaming landscape, where access to the vast Chinese market is increasingly seen as a pivotal factor for success. In a notable leadership transition, Arrowhead promoted Shams Jorjani to the role of CEO in May 2024, signaling a new chapter for the studio as it navigates its growth trajectory in collaboration with Tencent." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].2 million) and a profit of SEK 729 million ([openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Chinese tech and entertainment titan Tencent has made a significant move in the gaming industry by acquiring a 15.75 percent stake in Arrowhead Games, the developer behind the popular title Helldivers 2. According to Swedish media outlet DI, Tencent's investment amounts to million, which places a valuation of SEK 5.1 billion (approximately 2.8 million) on Arrowhead. The founders of Arrowhead Games—Johan Pilestedt, Emil Englund, Malin Hedstrom, Peter Lindgren, and Anton Stenmark—retain the remaining 84.24 percent ownership of the studio. This strategic partnership not only underscores Tencent's growing influence in the gaming sector but also highlights Arrowhead's impressive financial performance, with a reported turnover of SEK 959 million (0.2 million) and a profit of SEK 729 million (.2 million). Success of Helldivers 2 Arrowhead's latest release, Helldivers 2, launched at the beginning of 2024, has garnered substantial acclaim, dominating the Steam charts for four consecutive weeks. Johan Pilestedt, the studio's chief creative officer and former CEO, expressed his pride in the team's accomplishments, stating, "It's fantastic fun, and I feel incredibly proud of what the team has managed to achieve. Above all, it's proof that what we do resonates with the player base." In discussing the implications of the Tencent partnership, Pilestedt remarked, "It also opens up opportunities for China as a market. Gaining access to the Chinese player base is the holy grail in the gaming industry." This sentiment reflects a broader trend in the gaming landscape, where access to the vast Chinese market is increasingly seen as a pivotal factor for success. In a notable leadership transition, Arrowhead promoted Shams Jorjani to the role of CEO in May 2024, signaling a new chapter for the studio as it navigates its growth trajectory in collaboration with Tencent." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].2 million). Helldivers 2, released in early 2024, has topped the Steam charts for four weeks. Shams Jorjani was promoted to CEO of Arrowhead in May 2024.
AppWizard
May 23, 2025
Patrick O’Luanaigh will transition from CEO to Chairman of NDreams effective June 1st, with Tom Gillo, the current Chief Development Officer, becoming the new CEO. O’Luanaigh co-founded NDreams in 2006 and expressed pride in the company's growth. NDreams was acquired by Aonic Group for 0 million in 2023, but subsequently laid off 17.5 percent of its workforce nearly a year later.
AppWizard
May 15, 2025
Kenji Matsubara is transitioning from CEO to an advisory role at SNK, where he has served since 2021. His leadership focused on expanding the development division, strengthening sales and marketing, and enhancing SNK's global presence. SNK's management expressed appreciation for his contributions during this transformative period.
AppWizard
May 9, 2025
Sumo Group is undergoing a leadership transition as CEO Carl Cavers, COO Paul Porter, and Director of Excellence and Integration Darren Mills step down after 22 years. CFO Andy Stewart and newly-promoted COO Gary Dunn will share the chief executive responsibilities. Tim Repa-Davies has been promoted to the board. Cavers expressed pride in their achievements and confidence in Sumo's future, while Stewart highlighted the natural evolution of the company.
AppWizard
May 2, 2025
Ben Gunstone has been promoted to chief executive officer of Stainless Games, succeeding Patrick Buckland, who has led the company since 1994. Gunstone joined Stainless in 2022 as a game director and became operations director before this promotion. Buckland will transition to the role of Executive Chairman. Gunstone expressed pride in his new role and emphasized the company's commitment to creating exceptional games. Buckland, who is 62, decided to step back from the daily stresses of being CEO while still nurturing the company's legacy as the majority shareholder.
AppWizard
April 24, 2025
The TON Foundation will announce Maximilian Crown as its new CEO on Thursday. This appointment aims to stabilize Telegram, which has a user base of one billion, following the arrest of its founder Pavel Durov in Paris last year. Crown's leadership is seen as a significant step for Telegram, demonstrating its commitment to expanding its multi-functional app amid governmental pressures to access user data. Crown has experience as CFO and COO of MoonPay and has successfully secured operational approvals across various countries. Telegram has transformed into a “Super App,” integrating features such as gaming, shopping, and payment functionalities. The Telegram Open Network (TON) has 41 million active accounts and 121 million Toncoin holders. Toncoin's value is tied to Telegram's fortunes, experiencing fluctuations following Durov's arrest. Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of French authorities' actions on Telegram’s blockchain initiatives, especially related to digital privacy and government oversight. Durov was detained for 96 hours and criticized the scrutiny faced by Telegram, warning against legislative efforts that threaten individual freedoms.
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 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 4, 2025
Jagex has appointed Jon Bellamy as its new CEO, succeeding Phil Mansell, who led the company since 2017. Bellamy previously worked at Jagex from 2015 to 2018 and has held positions at London Venture Partners and Huuuge Games. He has also been a board member at Jagex since October 2024. Mansell reflected on his 14 years with RuneScape and expressed confidence in Bellamy's leadership.
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