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Deputy CEO Mattias Lilja taking over role.
Paradox Interactive's Frederik Wester has announced he's stepping down from the role of CEO after a combined decade and a half leading the company. The news follows several tumultuous years for the publisher best known for grand strategy games including Stellaris, Europa Universalis, and Crusader Kings 3.
In a statement announcing the change in leadership, Paradox said Wester had "decided to step down as CEO to continue focusing on the company's long-term development as a member of the Board." Paradox's current deputy CEO, Mattias Lilja, will take over Wester's role from 4th January 2027. Wester is to remain in the position until then in order "to ensure an orderly transition".
“I’m truly grateful to all our engaged players and talented colleagues who contribute to outstanding gaming experiences every day," Wester said of his decision. "They are the ones who made these years amazing. My plan was never to be CEO for life. The goal was to build the foundation before passing the baton on for the next chapter in the company's journey. Since I returned as CEO, we've streamlined our strategy, rebuilt our pipeline and developed our commercial offering. Mattias has had a central role in laying this foundation, and now is the right time to hand over. Given his experience and vision, he is exceptionally well positioned to take the company to its next level."
Wester has twice served as Paradox CEO since joining the company in 2003. His first stint ran from 2009 to 2018, after which he became Paradox's executive chairman of the board. He returned to the CEO role in 2021, and has overseen a troubled period for the company. This has included the embattled development of Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 - which finally launched last October after multiple delays, near cancellation, and a switch in developer. Unfortunately the game failed to resonate with critics and audiences, and Paradox announced a 162 percent decline in operating profit earlier this year as a result of its commercial failure.
Wester's most recent watch - which began with an admittance of "inappropriate behaviour" amid a damning report into Paradox's workplace culture - has also seen the high-profile cancellation of Sims competitor Life By You, an indefinite delay for Prison Architect 2 after Paradox parted ways with original developer Double Eleven, and a split with BattleTech studio Harebrained Schemes following the commercial failure of The Lamplighters League. Paradox's Cities Skylines 2 has also been blighted with controversy: after a disastrous launch in 2023, its console release is still yet to emerge, and development is now being handled by a new studio after Paradox split with former developer Colossal Order last year. In 2004, Wester admitted the publisher had "made the wrong calls in several projects".
Despite all this, incoming CEO Mattias Lilja remains buoyant. "Paradox has a unique DNA that has made us one of the greats in deep and engaging strategy and management games," he wrote in a statement announcing his promotion. "Now we’re stepping up the pace: we will make further investments in our core business, push the boundaries of our game design, work even more closely with our loyal players, develop more and better tools and services that benefit both modders and players, and continue to sharpen our ways of working and our organisation, with player value in focus."
Paradox, does of course, have some promising games on its upcoming slate. Alongside continued work on grand strategy stalwarts like Crusader Kings 3, Europa Universalis 5, and Stellaris, next year sees the release of Lego Skylines, and post-apocalyptic grand strategy game Afterworld is also on the way.Read more: Full article on www.eurogamer.net
What do you think about this?
Paradox Interactive's Frederik Wester has announced he's stepping down from the role of CEO after a combined decade and a half leading the company. The news follows several tumultuous years for the publisher best known for grand strategy games including Stellaris, Europa Universalis, and Crusader Kings 3.
In a statement announcing the change in leadership, Paradox said Wester had "decided to step down as CEO to continue focusing on the company's long-term development as a member of the Board." Paradox's current deputy CEO, Mattias Lilja, will take over Wester's role from 4th January 2027. Wester is to remain in the position until then in order "to ensure an orderly transition".
“I’m truly grateful to all our engaged players and talented colleagues who contribute to outstanding gaming experiences every day," Wester said of his decision. "They are the ones who made these years amazing. My plan was never to be CEO for life. The goal was to build the foundation before passing the baton on for the next chapter in the company's journey. Since I returned as CEO, we've streamlined our strategy, rebuilt our pipeline and developed our commercial offering. Mattias has had a central role in laying this foundation, and now is the right time to hand over. Given his experience and vision, he is exceptionally well positioned to take the company to its next level."
Wester has twice served as Paradox CEO since joining the company in 2003. His first stint ran from 2009 to 2018, after which he became Paradox's executive chairman of the board. He returned to the CEO role in 2021, and has overseen a troubled period for the company. This has included the embattled development of Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 - which finally launched last October after multiple delays, near cancellation, and a switch in developer. Unfortunately the game failed to resonate with critics and audiences, and Paradox announced a 162 percent decline in operating profit earlier this year as a result of its commercial failure.
Wester's most recent watch - which began with an admittance of "inappropriate behaviour" amid a damning report into Paradox's workplace culture - has also seen the high-profile cancellation of Sims competitor Life By You, an indefinite delay for Prison Architect 2 after Paradox parted ways with original developer Double Eleven, and a split with BattleTech studio Harebrained Schemes following the commercial failure of The Lamplighters League. Paradox's Cities Skylines 2 has also been blighted with controversy: after a disastrous launch in 2023, its console release is still yet to emerge, and development is now being handled by a new studio after Paradox split with former developer Colossal Order last year. In 2004, Wester admitted the publisher had "made the wrong calls in several projects".
Despite all this, incoming CEO Mattias Lilja remains buoyant. "Paradox has a unique DNA that has made us one of the greats in deep and engaging strategy and management games," he wrote in a statement announcing his promotion. "Now we’re stepping up the pace: we will make further investments in our core business, push the boundaries of our game design, work even more closely with our loyal players, develop more and better tools and services that benefit both modders and players, and continue to sharpen our ways of working and our organisation, with player value in focus."
Paradox, does of course, have some promising games on its upcoming slate. Alongside continued work on grand strategy stalwarts like Crusader Kings 3, Europa Universalis 5, and Stellaris, next year sees the release of Lego Skylines, and post-apocalyptic grand strategy game Afterworld is also on the way.Read more: Full article on www.eurogamer.net
What do you think about this?