CEO of Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group Brian Ward steps down after overseeing billions in mobile gaming acquisitions

Brian Ward, the CEO of the state-owned Savvy Games Group in Saudi Arabia, has announced his departure from the company. Throughout his time in charge, Ward oversaw an investment of $38 billion into various gaming companies, such as Niantic, the creator of Pokemon Go, and Scopely, the developer behind Monopoly Go. In a staff memo, Ward expressed that it was the appropriate time for Savvy to undergo a new phase of growth with fresh leadership.

His tenure at Savvy Games Group had its share of successes and failures. The company spent $3.5 billion on Niantic following the immense popularity of Pokemon Go, and earlier, they invested $4.9 billion in Scopely, known for its hit mobile game Monopoly Go. Savvy Games Group also heavily invested in esports, a sector that has yet to generate significant profits and primarily serves as a marketing platform for the Saudi Arabian state, featuring the esports World Cup.

The recent turmoil in the Middle East led to the relocation of the latest esports event from Riyadh to Paris. This move comes shortly after Saudi Arabia's massive leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts (EA) for $55 billion, the largest investment in the gaming industry to date and the biggest acquisition of its kind in history. This acquisition has raised concerns within Savvy about the future management and integration of the two giant Saudi-owned video game businesses.

George Osborn, the author of Power Play and a writer of the games industry memo, acknowledged Ward's diligent work in a challenging role. Osborn believes that despite differing opinions on the political aspects of the situation, Ward performed his duties effectively. Comparing Savvy's investments in various industries, Osborn deemed the company's approach to be a balanced one, combining smart acquisitions and ecosystem development.

Key acquisitions, such as Scopely, proved successful, while the decision to cut back on investments in Embracer demonstrated discipline.

Osborn believes that Savvy Games Group has built an impressive portfolio on behalf of the Saudi state, but the future of the company remains uncertain. Given the company's less-reputable standing compared to EA in the global gaming market and its limited economic influence, it might focus solely on the Saudi sector under EA or the Public Investment Fund (PIF) as part of Vision 2030. Regardless of future developments, Ward played a significant role in shaping the Saudi gaming sector during his time at Savvy Games Group.