Starbreeze Names Former EA Executive Jonas Skantz as General Manager of Payday

Starbreeze has recently appointed Jonas Skantz to oversee its Payday franchise as general manager. Skantz, who has newly joined the company, will be tasked with shaping the franchise's overall creative and business strategy. His responsibilities include devising long-term creative plans, facilitating collaboration between development and publishing teams, and ensuring the continued delivery of top-notch co-op heist experiences to Payday's global player base. With 20 years of experience in game development and leadership under his belt, Skantz has previously worked on prominent franchises such as Battlefield, FIFA, Star Wars, and Need for Speed. He also played a key role in the rollout of EA's Frostbite engine across the company. According to CEO Adolf Kristjansson, "Jonas Skantz brings a unique blend of strategic insight and hands-on leadership to the Payday franchise. His understanding of the gaming landscape, player preferences, and brand growth makes him an ideal choice to guide Payday into its next phase. We are excited to have him on board and are confident that his leadership will enable us to provide even more exceptional experiences to our community." This appointment comes after Kristjansson took over as Starbreeze's CEO in March, following a brief interim period under CFO Mats Juhl, who replaced the former CEO Juergen Goeldner, now chairman of the board.