Helldivers 2 studio hires new CEO, with Pilestedt taking the role of CCO

Arrowhead Game Studios, the developer behind Helldivers 2, has hired a new CEO, Shams Jorjani, who will be replacing Johan Pilestedt. However, the latter isn't going anywhere, as he will be taking the position of Chief Creative Officer at the same company and will still influence the future of Helldivers IP.

Pilestedt announced his decision to hire Shams in a recent post on X, where he revealed his decision to step down as the Chief Executive Officer to a more hands-free position. This will allow him to focus more on the studio's creative aspects instead of its business side of things.

Despite not being the CEO of Arrowhead anymore, Pilestedt will still retain creative autonomy as the CCO and will be a key factor in the company's future endeavors.

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Johan Pilestedt steps down as the CEO of Helldivers 2's developer, Arrowhead Game Studios

The post Pilestedt made announcing his decision to hire the new CEO said:

“Big update, I’ve decided to hire [Shams Jorjani] as the new CEO of [Arrowhead Game Studio]! We go way back and I wouldn’t trust the business in any other hands than his. (…and he comes with an impressive resume and love for games) But what about me and my involvement in [Helldivers 2]? 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!”

Shams Jorjani was previously the CCO at Paradox Interactive (Stellaris, Age of Wonders, etc.).

Helldivers 2, despite its lack of marketing and a rather underwhelming launch, eventually became one of the most successful releases on PlayStation. However, the title garnered massive criticism and backlash recently due to the forced PSN integration. This also led to the game's reviews on Steam dropping to "Overwhelmingly Negative."

Fortunately for the game, PlayStation eventually backpedaled on their decision, which helped the title regain its former popularity and positive reviews on Valve's platform.

As of writing this article, Helldivers 2 currently has "Very Positive" reviews on Steam. The game is currently the best-selling PlayStation PC title to date, overtaking the likes of Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, and the recently released and critically acclaimed PC port of Ghost of Tsushima.