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# Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward steps down after four years
- URL: https://www.isakaba.com/savvy-games-group-ceo-brian-ward-steps-down-after-four-years/
- Published: 2026-09-02T07:38:30.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-02T07:38:30.000Z
- Description: PIF deputy governor Turqi Alnowaiser will serve as interim acting CEO
- Author: Isa Muhammad
- Tags: People

Brian Ward has stepped down as CEO of Savvy Games Group, the Saudi Arabian gaming entity overseeing the kingdom's $38 billion investment in the video games industry.

According to a [Bloomberg report](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-01/saudi-video-game-giant-savvy-ceo-brian-ward-is-stepping-down?ref=isakaba.com), Ward informed staff of his departure in an internal message reviewed by the publication. "As Savvy embarks on its next period of transformational growth, this is the right time for new leadership for that evolution," he wrote.

Turqi Alnowaiser, deputy governor of the Public Investment Fund and head of its International Investments Division, will serve as interim acting CEO.

**Brief track record**

Ward joined Savvy in 2021 and stewarded a period of significant but uneven growth. The company's [acquisition of Monopoly Go maker Scopely for $4.9bn](https://www.pocketgamer.biz/savvy-games-group-acquires-scopely-for-49-billion/?ref=isakaba.com) proved well-timed, with the title reaching $6 billion in revenue in record time. 

Savvy also acquired Pokémon Go from Niantic for $3.5bn. However, the company's esports investments resulted in layoffs and no further investment plans in the sector.

The leadership change comes as [PIF digests its $55bn acquisition of Electronic Arts](https://www.pocketgamer.biz/eas-55bn-buyout-complete-in-deal-led-by-saudi-arabias-pif/?ref=isakaba.com), one of the largest transactions in gaming industry history, with internal concerns reported over how the two Saudi-owned gaming businesses will operate alongside each other.

Savvy had invested approximately $13bn of its $38bn mandate as of March 2026\. Its [$6 billion acquisition of Moonton](https://www.pocketgamer.biz/bytedance-to-sell-moonton-to-savvy-games-group-in-6bn-deal/?ref=isakaba.com) from ByteDance remains pending.

Ward had noted in March that regional instability linked to the Iran conflict could affect the region's prospects as a gaming hub. The [Esports World Cup was subsequently moved](https://www.pocketgamer.biz/esports-world-cup-2026-relocates-from-saudi-arabia-to-paris-amid-regional-uncertainty/?ref=isakaba.com) from Riyadh to Paris in May.