Brian Ward, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi state-backed Savvy Games Group, is stepping down after leading the organization since 2021. According to a Bloomberg report, he announced his decision in an internal memo to employees, explaining that the company is entering a new period of transformational growth and that the time is right for new leadership.
Turqi Alnowaiser, Deputy Governor of the Public Investment Fund and Head of its International Investments Division, has been appointed as interim acting CEO.
Under Ward's leadership, Savvy Games Group drastically reshaped the competitive gaming landscape and executed a series of strategic acquisitions:
- In 2022, the company acquired tournament operators ESL and FACEIT for $1.5 billion, merging them into the ESL FACEIT Group, which subsequently absorbed the esports infrastructure firm Vindex.
- In March 2026, a $6 billion agreement was signed to acquire MOONTON Games, the publisher of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
- Acquired mobile hit developers Scopely (Monopoly GO!) and Niantic (Pokémon GO).
- Savvy became an official tournament sponsor for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as part of a major partnership between PIF and FIFA.
These steps are part of the Vision 2030 project, aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia's economy and building a robust technology sector. In addition to global investments (for example, EFG operates as the primary execution partner for the Esports Foundation in organizing the Esports World Cup), Savvy is actively investing in local education. The company is collaborating with King Abdulaziz University, King Saud University, and Alfaisal University to create specialized programs in game development and esports management.
The leadership change occurs against the backdrop of regional instability due to the war in Iran, which has already disrupted Saudi Arabia's esports roadmap. Due to geopolitical tensions, the 2026 Esports World Cup had to be relocated to Paris, and the inaugural Esports Nations Cup was postponed to November 2027. These events create temporary obstacles for the Kingdom's domestic development plans, shifting the focus away from local events just as Savvy enters its new phase of transformation.
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