Embark Studios CEO Patrick Söderlund has been given a new major role in ARC Raiders the developer's parent company, newly appointed Nexon's executive chairman. The Swedish video game studio has been the talk of the gaming industry since the launch of its latest game late last year, with ARC Raiders quickly taking the gaming world by storm. The shooter has already sold more than 12 million copies as of January 2026, and even nabbed Best Multiplayer Game just over a month after launch at the 2025 Game Awards. Embark Studios also has impressive talent in its ranks behind the scenes.
Patrick Söderlund, although not the biggest name in the gaming industry, is no stranger to big names and studios throughout his career. Soderlund first joined Electronic Arts in 1996 and stayed with the company for 12 years, serving as everything from chief designer to vice president of the company's Worldwide Studios. Söderlund also served a period as CEO of Battlefield developer DICE before founding Embark Studios months after leaving EA in 2018. Now Patrick Soderlund is moving up the ranks and taking on a new executive role at Nexon.
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Nexon appoints Embark's CEO Patrick Söderlund as executive chairman of the board
Nexon has officially appointed Patrick Söderlund as the company's executive chairman, moving Embark's founder into a role at its parent company. Söderlund will reportedly be responsible for the company's “long-term strategy and creative directions,” as well as how Nexon “develops games globally” in his new role at the developer and publisher. Soderlund is expected to work as the chief creative officer of Nexon alongside current CEO Junghun Lee, while continuing in his role as CEO of Embark Studios. In a public statement about the move, Söderlund expressed his enthusiasm to work in a larger role with Nexon, feeling the company has “all the assets to unleash dramatic growth.”
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Nexon's new appointment gives Söderlund's proven track record with Embark a greater role in the company after years under its umbrella. Embark Studios was fully acquired by Nexon back in 2021, before the studio had fully confirmed its first game release in The finals. Söderlund's role at DICE saw him lead the company through some of its highest peaks during the launch of beloved games such as Battlefield 3 and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Söderlund has also proven his keen eye for what it takes to make a game a success, as evidenced by ARC Raiders' popularity.
ARC Raiders has been a landslide success for Embark Studios since its debut in late October 2025. In addition to its impressive sales numbers, the developer has continued to push consistent updates for the game almost every week since its initial launch. ARC Raiders officially launched the Headwinds update at the end of January, adding the new matchmaking queue Solo vs. Squads together with a Trophy Display system. The patch also introduced a brand new Bird City state to the Buried City with increased amounts of ziplines, trinkets and birds found on the map, including some exclusive trinkets.
Embark Studio's groundbreaking success with ARC Raiders look ready to continue, because the game has a lot more going on. The upcoming Shrouded Sky update will add a brand new Hurricane map modifier that will greatly affect wind speeds and player movement while the condition is active. The hurricane is also expected to provide some very valuable loot for players to find in the storm, tasking fans with braving the fierce winds to claim some exclusive rewards for their efforts. Patrick Söderlund's success with ARC Raiders should both bode well for Nexon as the popular extraction game grows and evolves with each new patch.
