Wooga CEO and founder Jens Begemann is departing the company at the end of June after 11 years at its head.
Begemann founded the studio back in 2009 alongside Patrick Paulisch and current CTO Philipp Moeser. The German developer has since made its name as a developer of free-to-play, and recently story-driven, mobile games.
The company was ultimately acquired by Playtika (reportedly for over $100 million) in late 2018, and Begemann notes in an interview with PocketGamer that the stability and success Wooga has seen since that acquisition is part of the reason he’s announced plans to exit.
“I’m an entrepreneur at heart. Wooga is strategically set in the right direction and I miss the early days. I had that realization. I wanted to be more involved with that. Secondly, I wanted to have more time for my family,” says Begemann. “As a founder, I think it’s best to leave when things are going better than ever.”
Nai Chang, Google’s previous global head of games on growth consulting, is set to take over as Wooga CEO following Begemann’s departure in June.