Leadership Archives

AppWizard

July 18, 2025

Crypto Messaging App Ephemera Bags $20M Series B at $300M Valuation

Ephemera, a blockchain-based messaging platform, secured million in a Series B funding round, co-led by Union Square Ventures, A16z Crypto, and Lightspeed Faction, achieving a valuation of 0 million. The round included participation from Coinbase, Sound Ventures, and actor Ashton Kutcher. The funding was structured as equity with token warrants, and Fred Wilson from Union Square Ventures joined Ephemera’s board. The platform is developed by the creators of XMTP, a decentralized messaging network utilizing IETF-standard Messaging Layer Security, which is trusted by companies like Mozilla, Google, Wire, and Cisco. XMTP aims to allow users to transfer conversations between different messaging apps, addressing concerns about centralization and user ownership of messages.

AppWizard

July 17, 2025

Lawsuit insists Krafton pushed for Subnautica 2 delay

The former leadership team of Unknown Worlds has filed a lawsuit against Krafton, claiming that Krafton pressured them to delay the release of Subnautica 2 beyond its expected 2025 launch. The lawsuit alleges that Krafton intentionally delayed the game by withdrawing marketing materials and retracting commitments necessary for pre-launch preparations, aiming to avoid a 0 million payment owed to the founders and employees of Unknown Worlds. Following the acquisition, Krafton reportedly decided to push the game's launch to 2026 to retain revenue while avoiding the payment. Krafton responded by stating that its decisions were made to ensure the game's quality and to meet fan expectations, expressing disappointment over the lawsuit and affirming its commitment to defend its position in court.

AppWizard

July 17, 2025

Ubisoft appoints company vet Derennes and Charlie Guillemot co-CEOs of new subsidiary

Ubisoft has appointed Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot as co-CEOs of its new subsidiary, supported by Tencent, to enhance its presence in the gaming industry. Derennes has been with Ubisoft since 1997, serving as managing director for North American operations, while Guillemot has experience leading Ubisoft's Owlient studio and founded a web3 gaming studio called Unagi. The subsidiary will focus on developing and expanding Ubisoft's core franchises, including Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six, and Far Cry, with Tencent investing .5 billion. Derennes stated the goal is to grow these iconic brands while staying true to their essence and transforming them into expansive experiences.

AppWizard

July 15, 2025

channelnews : Google Confirms ChromeOS and Android Merger in Major Software Overhaul

Google has announced plans to merge its operating systems, ChromeOS and Android, into a single platform. This decision was confirmed by Sameer Samat, President of Google’s Android Ecosystem, during an interview. The merger is seen as a response to Apple's iPad and its iPadOS, as Google has struggled in the high-end tablet market. In 2024, Google began integrating Android technology into ChromeOS, introducing desktop features to Android. The company is reportedly starting a multi-year initiative to integrate ChromeOS functions into Android, with a new Pixel Laptop expected to launch alongside the merged operating system. There are concerns about transitioning existing Chromebooks, which use x86 processors, to an Android-focused system that favors Arm architecture.

AppWizard

July 15, 2025

Less than 6 years after it launched, John Wick Hex is being removed from sale on all storefronts later this week

John Wick Hex will be removed from digital storefronts on July 17, less than six years after its launch. Publisher Big Fan Games confirmed that current owners will retain access, but new purchases will not be possible. The likely reason for this decision is expiring license rights. The game received positive feedback despite its deviations from the original film series. It is currently available at full price on Steam and Epic Games Store, with an 80% discount available on the Humble Store.

AppWizard

July 14, 2025

Summer Games Done Quick 2025 raised $2.4m

This year's Summer Games Done Quick charity speedrunning event raised ,436,614 for Doctors Without Borders from July 6th to 13th, attracting over 2,600 attendees at the Hilton Minneapolis in Minnesota. The event featured popular games such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Balatro, Super Mario Maker 2, Blue Prince, Mario Kart World, and Beat Saber. Although the total raised is slightly below the .5 million raised in 2024, Games Done Quick has raised over million for various charitable organizations since its inception. Founder Mike Uyama stepped down in August 2024, passing leadership to operations head Matt Merkle.

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 13, 2025

Krafton confirms Subnautica 2 leak showing that the publisher wanted more content for the early access launch, leading to delay and leadership ouster

Krafton has confirmed the authenticity of a leaked development assessment for Subnautica 2, indicating a need for more content and refinement before launch. The postponement of the game has led to conflict between Krafton and former Unknown Worlds leaders Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max McGuire, with a now-deleted post on r/pcgaming calling for a boycott due to their firings. Cleveland stated that the game is ready for early access, suggesting a disagreement over the development timeline. Krafton expressed feelings of "profound betrayal" towards the former leaders, accusing them of neglecting their responsibilities, particularly Cleveland, who was alleged to have prioritized a personal project. Cleveland and the former leaders have initiated legal action against Krafton.

AppWizard

July 11, 2025

Former Subnautica leaders are suing Krafton

The founders of Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica, are suing parent company Krafton following their dismissal, which included founder Charlie Cleveland, CEO Ted Gill, and special projects director Max McGuire. Their replacements include Steve Papoutsis. The anticipated sequel, Subnautica 2, has been delayed, jeopardizing a 0 million bonus payment from Krafton, with 90% intended for the studio's leadership. Cleveland stated that the lawsuit was necessary to address the situation and emphasized that he and his colleagues have always shared profits with their team.

AppWizard

July 11, 2025

Krafton accuses former Subnautica 2 bosses of abandoning the game in surprising new statement: ‘We feel a profound sense of betrayal by their failure to honor the trust placed in them’

The founders of Unknown Worlds, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, along with former CEO Ted Gill, have filed a lawsuit against Krafton after the company accused them of neglecting their responsibilities, resulting in project delays for Subnautica 2. Krafton, which acquired Unknown Worlds in 2021 for 0 million plus million in performance bonuses, claims Cleveland focused on a personal film project instead of the game. Krafton has delayed the release of Subnautica 2 until 2026 due to insufficient content and has appointed Steve Papoutsis as the new CEO after dismissing the former leadership. Cleveland contends that Subnautica 2 is ready for early access, while Krafton denies that financial motivations influenced the delay. The company has pledged fair compensation for the remaining employees at Unknown Worlds, but details are unclear, especially regarding the intended distribution of bonuses among the team. The situation has sparked divided opinions within the Subnautica community.