22Cans Appoints New CEO as Molyneux Moves to Creative Director Role

Peter Molyneux is to step down as CEO of the studio he founded, 22Cans, and assume the role of creative director. The company's executive director Simon Phillips has been selected to replace him, and Phillips says the move will give Molyneux more time to focus on his creative vision rather than business concerns. 

"It's a great time to be part of the games and entertainment industry right now," said Phillips in a statement to GamesIndustry. "Not only are we seeing some amazing originalities in design but also some incredible innovations in the way these are executed from a business point of view.

"22cans is unlike any team I've ever worked with before and has been one of the stand-out studios over the last three years. I'm super excited to be part of the future here and to help take 22cans to the next level." 

Godus, the studio's last game, is a god-style title inspired by Molyneux's retro title Populous but the game lacked many of the features promised in its Kickstarter upon launch. 22Cans eventually apologised for the game's shortcomings and while some features are still missing, Molyneux has shifted focus to a new game called The Trail.