Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors is stepping down as CEO while his deputy CEO Phil Rogers will take over the top job in August.
Wingefors spun his Swedish game holding company out of Nordic Games Group in 2016, and he renamed it Embracer Group in 2019.
Wingefors was a controversial leader in the game industry, as he built up Embracer Group to more than 100 game studios, only to fall victim in the post-pandemic slowdown. As growth slowed, Wingefors had to lay off a lot of people, sell off studios or shut them down.
Rogers joined Embracer in 2022 after Embracer bought Eidos Montreal.
Wingefors will stay at Embracer and executive chairman of the board and he will be a board member of the Coffee Stain Group.
He said in a statement, “While the road has not always been straight, I am incredibly proud of the achievements made possible by our talented teams, which have created some incredible experiences for gamers. “This new phase allows me to focus on strategic initiatives, M&A, and capital allocation, ensuring Embracer’s continued growth and success.”
And Wingefors said, “I am more convinced than ever that the best is still ahead of us. Having worked very closely with Phil over the past years, I have high confidence in his abilities. I look forward to a continued close collaboration to further strengthen the business and drive value in the coming years.”