Adolf Kristjansson has been appointed as Starbreeze’s new CEO. Kristjansson will assume the role on April 1.

Kristjansson replaces current interim CEO, Mats Juhl, who resumes his role as CFO.

Kristjansson has been working in games for over 20 years, working on IPs like FIFA, Battlefield, Apex Legends, and Star Wars and served at EA in a range of senior roles, including international commercial senior director and global head of digital.

“I join Starbreeze with great enthusiasm for the company’s current and future projects, not the least the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons title. I look forward to continuing the work of expanding the Payday franchise further and building Starbreeze into a true multi-title studio,” Kristjansson said.

“Most of all, I look forward to working closely with our talented teams and engaging with our passionate player community as we build the next chapter of Starbreeze together.”

“On behalf of the board, I want to welcome Adolf to Starbreeze and I look forward to a long and fruitful cooperation. I also want to take the opportunity to thank Mats Juhl for his great contribution during his period as interim CEO,” said chairperson Jürgen Goeldner.

Starbreeze announced back in May that CFO Mats Juhl was appointed as its new interim CEO, replacing existing CEO Juergen Goeldner, who stepped down to take on the role of chairman of the board. Juhl was appointed CFO at Starbreeze in 2020, when he replaced Claes Wenthzel following a period of restructuring at the company.

Goeldner became interim CEO in March 2024 following Tobias Sjörgren’s decision to step down. No reason was given for the change in leadership.