Helldivers 2 developers announces new CEO

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Studios has announced a new Chief Executive officer.

Under the leadership of the new CEO, Arrowhead Studios aims to build on the success of Helldivers 2, a game that has not only received critical acclaim but also became Sony’s biggest-ever launch on Steam, attracting a massive influx of players.

Arowhead’s current CEO is the ever-vocal Johan Pilestedt, who has been the focal point for much of the game’s updates.

Pilestedt will be replaced by Shams Jorjani, who has a previous relationship in steering the studio’s games with his part in the development of Magika.

To the relief of many fans, Pilestedt won’t be going far and takes on the mantle of Chief Creative Officer and Chairman of Arrowhead Studios.

He said via a post on X: “But what about me and my involvement in @Helldivers2? Well, I’m glad you asked! I am taking the role of Chief Creative Officer, which means I will spend MORE time with the team and 100% of my focus on the games and community!”

Pilestedt has become an integral part of Arrowhead’s honest and humble public persona. He comes across to the community as an open and very involved part of the entire package that Helldivers 2 and the studio produce.

Fans have been quick to compliment Pilestedt for his time at the helm as CEO:

When you lower your position (I think?) to be more involved in your game etc – honestly that speaks volumes.

— Shichi (@Shichiibukaii) May 22, 2024

Arrowhead has not been far from some unrest in its time at the top of Steam and the PlayStation Network’s (PSN) sales charts.

As we reported earlier this month, Sony’s decision to require PSN accounts to play Helldivers has gone down terribly. The game’s community was up in arms about it and threatened a boycott.

Sony backpedaled, but it lasted a short time. The Japanese gaming icon then made the game unavailable in over 180 countries, placing the intended digital blockade on locations that cannot sign up for a PSN account.

Pilestedt was unhappy in a Discord post and said Sony’s decision didn’t look good. He posted to the Helldivers 2 community, saying, “The conversation on region restrictions is still ongoing and independent of this. I have no further information. We (Arrowhead) still want the game to be available everywhere.”

Image: Arrowhead.

The post Helldivers 2 developers announces new CEO appeared first on ReadWrite.