Adolf Kristjansson, previously an executive at Electronic Arts, has been named CEO of Starbreeze

Starbreeze has announced Adolf Kristjansson as its CEO, effective April 1. Kristjansson steps into the role following Mats Juhl, who will return to his duties as Chief Financial Officer.

With over two decades in the gaming field, Kristjansson has experience with major franchises such as FIFA, Battlefield, Apex Legends, and Star Wars. At Electronic Arts (EA), he held several high-level positions, including international commercial senior director and global head of digital.

Kristjansson expressed his excitement about joining Starbreeze and highlighted his anticipation for projects like the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons game. He is committed to further developing the Payday series and aims to transform Starbreeze into a studio with a diverse range of titles. “Most importantly, I am eager to collaborate with our skilled teams and interact with our enthusiastic player community as we shape Starbreeze's future,” he mentioned.

Jürgen Goeldner, chairperson of Starbreeze, welcomed Kristjansson and expressed optimism about their collaboration. He also acknowledged Mats Juhl's significant contributions during his tenure as interim CEO.

Starbreeze appointed Mats Juhl as interim CEO last May, taking over from Juergen Goeldner, who moved to the position of board chairman. Juhl had been Starbreeze's CFO since 2020, having succeeded Claes Wenthzel amid a restructuring phase.

Previously, Goeldner became interim CEO in March 2024, when Tobias Sjörgren decided to step down. The company did not provide a reason for this leadership change.