Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios has a new CEO, though founder Johan Pilestedt isn’t going away. Instead, he is transitioning to a more creative-focused leadership position while the new CEO oversees the business side.
Arrowhead Founder is now the studio’s Chief Creative Officer
Pilestedt announced the shake-up on Twitter, saying he’d hired former Paradox Interactive executive Shams Jorjani as CEO. Pilestedt, meanwhile, will transition to the role of Arrowhead’s Chief Creative Officer. According to the Helldivers 2 director, this will enable him to spend more time with the development team and focus more on the team and community. He also remains the company’s Chairman.
As the name implies, the Chief Creative Officer is the highest-ranking media company’s creative team. While every company is different, they are typically in charge of marketing, branding, managing IP, and overseeing the rest of the creative team. Meanwhile, the CEO oversees the entire company, though their exact role can vary.
Arrowhead Game Studios was a relatively obscure game developer until Helldivers 2 became a breakout hit. As such, there have been some growing pains, such as the game suffering server issues shortly after launch. The company has also struggled to find a balance when it comes to spacing out Helldiver’s 2 updates.
However, its most significant controversy was the recent pushback against Sony requiring PC players to sign up for a PlayStation Network account. The controversy actually led to the firing of Helldivers 2’s community manager for incoming fans to leave negative Steam reviews. While Sony walked the PSN requirement back, the game remained delisted in many countries.
