Alan Wake 2 Fans Raise Concerns Over New CEO’s Impact

I mentioned yesterday that Remedy Entertainment is welcoming a new CEO. Sam Lake, the creative force behind the ever-growing “Remedyverse,” seemed to give his nod of approval, stating, “He very much understands our wildly unique vision and the value of the Remedy Connected Universe.” But was Lake just trying to smooth over any potential concerns by voicing his support?

Fans quickly dove into Jean-Charles Gaudechon’s background and their unease grew. “My commitment is to protect what makes it special, deliver exceptional games, and scale Remedy in a way that builds lasting value,” he told investors this week. Cue Homer Simpson’s drooling: “Mmmm, lasting value.”

Gaudechon’s LinkedIn profile highlights his experience leading EA’s free-to-play studio, where he was at the helm of Battlefield Heroes and played a key role in shaping live-service and F2P practices that EA later adopted. Most recently, he was an SVP at OneFootball, a sports media platform focused on gambling, where he oversaw the launch of an in-app marketplace just before his departure in 2024.

“Enshittification incoming,” one fan remarked on a popular Reddit thread. “It’s not a lake. It is a Season Pass,” read one of the top comments. “That CEO is basically the herald of darkness. What’s the next game? Max Pay?” Yet, some fans are holding out hope, eager to see if Gaudechon can steer the company back to the creative vision that has defined Remedy, rather than just chasing profit.

This leadership shift comes six months after the company issued a profit warning following the disappointing performance of the live-service Control spin-off, FBC: Firebreak. To wrap it up, Gaudechon stated, “We will stay close to players, earn their time and trust, and strengthen our independence in how we build and publish our games, while continuing to work closely with the partners who have supported us along the way.”