Turqi Alnowaiser, deputy governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and head of its International Investments Division, has been appointed interim CEO of Savvy Games Group.
Alnowaiser takes over after founding CEO Brian Ward announced his departure in an internal staff message. Savvy said the leadership change comes as the group enters its next phase of growth.
Turqi Alnowaiser takes interim CEO role
Alnowaiser will lead Savvy Games Group while PIF searches for a permanent chief executive. His appointment places a senior PIF executive at the head of the gaming investment group during a period of continued expansion.
Alnowaiser also leads PIF’s International Investments Division. He was involved in PIF’s international investment efforts around the acquisition of Electronic Arts, according to the source.
The leadership change follows the completion of an approximately $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by a PIF led consortium. The transaction ranks among the largest deals in the video game industry.
Brian Ward leaves after leading Savvy since 2021
Brian Ward had led Savvy Games Group since the company was established in November 2021. During his tenure, Ward oversaw the development of Saudi Arabia’s gaming investment strategy.
Savvy also had a planned PIF commitment of around $38 billion to the gaming sector during Ward’s tenure. The group expanded through acquisitions, investments and esports activities.
Ward previously held senior roles at Electronic Arts, Microsoft and Activision. At Activision, Ward oversaw the acquisition of 11 studios over an eight year period.
Ward announced his departure through an internal message to employees. He said the change came as Savvy entered its “next phase of growth”.
Savvy expands through global gaming acquisitions
Savvy Games Group has built a portfolio across game development, publishing and esports since its establishment.
In 2023, Savvy completed the $4.9 billion acquisition of Scopely. The mobile games company developed Monopoly Go, which the source describes as one of the industry’s major mobile titles.
Savvy later acquired Niantic’s games business for about $3.5 billion in 2025. The business included Pokémon Go. Earlier this year, Savvy also acquired Moonton from ByteDance.
Alongside game development and publishing, Savvy expanded into esports. The group acquired ESL and FACEIT, which were combined to form ESL FACEIT Group.
Savvy also helped establish the Esports World Cup. In addition, the group has taken minority stakes in global gaming companies including Nintendo, Take Two Interactive and Bandai Namco.
Leadership transition comes during continued expansion
Savvy Games Group now has approximately 3,500 to 4,000 employees across nearly 30 locations, according to the information provided.
However, the group’s esports operations have also faced challenges. These include layoffs and the shelving of some planned expansion, according to the source.
The appointment comes as PIF oversees two major investments in the global games industry following the completion of the Electronic Arts acquisition.
The relationship between Electronic Arts and Savvy’s existing portfolio will be determined by PIF and the companies as they move forward. The source does not indicate that Savvy is being restructured around Electronic Arts.
For now, Alnowaiser will oversee Savvy while PIF begins its search for a permanent CEO. His interim appointment places the group’s leadership with a senior PIF executive as Savvy continues to manage its global gaming and esports portfolio.
