Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures developer Supermassive Games has seen some significant changes at the top. Spotted by Game Rant, over on its official LinkedIn page, the developer announced last week that Pete and Joe Samuels – who co-founded the studio in 2008 – have left the studio.
“After 15 amazing years, we say goodbye to our founders,” the developer wrote. “Pete and Joe – thank you for creating the Supermassive Games story that we will continue to write. Your Supermassive legacy will live on. We all wish you both the very best of luck in your next chapter.”
Outgoing CEO Pete Samuels, who says he’s leaving “entirely on health grounds”, is set to be replaced by Robert Henrysson, chairman and former CEO of Avalanche Studios, and a partner at Nordisk Games, the company that acquired Supermassive in 2022. While Henrysson will serve as the studio’s CEO, he will also be hanging on to his roles as Avalanche’s chairman and partner at Nordisk.
“After over 15 years as CEO of Supermassive Games, I have taken the very difficult decision to step down from my role and leave the business,” Samuels wrote on LinkedIn. “My decision is entirely on health grounds and hasn’t been taken lightly. I am, and always will be, proud of what Joe Samuels and I founded all those years ago, and filled with admiration for the Supermassive team and the amazing things that they have achieved. I remain excited about their feature under a talented new leadership team, led by Robert Henrysson, that will guide Supermassive through the next stage of its incredible journey.”
Henrysson wrote, “Starting today, it’s my privilege and honour to take on the stewardship of Supermassive Games Ltd as the CEO. The founders, Pete Samuels and Joe Samuels have built an incredible BAFTA-winning studio that has created games which have thrilled and terrified millions of players around the world. Lads, enjoy your next chapter and a well-earned rest.
“I’m exceptionally fired up about working with the management and all the talented people in the studio to continue developing Supermassive Games position as one of the leading studios in the world. We’re just getting started.”
Currently, Supermassive Games is working on Little Nightmares 3, which is set to launch sometime later this year, and The Casting of Frank Stone, a single player narrative-driven horror adventure set in the Dead by Daylight universe.
Supermassive is also working on The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020, which will kick off the anthology series’ second season whenever it launches. A release date is currently unknown.