CEO of Payday developer Starbreeze is leaving

Tobias Sjögren, the CEO of Payday developer Starbreeze, has left that company. Starbreeze does not give a concrete reason for the departure of the CEO. The studio's most recent game, Payday 3, was poorly received and suffered from server issues upon release.

Starbreeze confirmed in a press release that Sjögren is leaving as CEO, although he 'will be available to ensure a smooth transition to guarantee'. No concrete reason is given for Sjögren's departure. According to Starbreeze, 'the execution of the strategy requires different leadership', the studio's board writes in its statement.

The studio says that Juergen Goeldner has been appointed interim CEO with immediate effect. According to Starbreeze, Goeldner has twenty years of experience in the gaming sector. He was previously CEO of Focus Entertainment and has been a member of the Starbreeze board since last year. A search has started for a permanent CEO.

Sjögren was CEO of Starbreeze for three years. The studio released its most recent game, Payday 3, in September last year. That game had been in development for years, but the studio has run out of money in recent years and therefore had to postpone the title for years. Payday 3 was poorly received upon release and suffered from server problems. Sjögren had to apologize for the problems surrounding the release of the co-op shooter.