Savvy Games Group acquired Scopely for $4.9 billion in 2023, according to PocketGamer.biz. The acquisition was completed during Brian Ward's tenure as the company's founding CEO.
Ward became Savvy's founding CEO in 2021 and spent five years leading the company as it expanded its global games and esports portfolio and worked to build Saudi Arabia's domestic games ecosystem. His tenure included the Scopely acquisition alongside investments in esports and initiatives focused on talent development and game development in Saudi Arabia.
Ward has departed as CEO and has been asked to remain as an advisor to Savvy Games Group, PocketGamer.biz reported on September 21, 2026. It is not yet confirmed whether he has accepted the advisory role.
In a LinkedIn post, Ward said Savvy had reached a point where it was "no longer a startup" after five years and was entering "a new period of transformational growth."
"I am pleased to have been asked to remain as an advisor to Savvy," Ward wrote. "I am excited to continue to support the company's mandate and the national strategy for our sector."
Ward ended his post by thanking the partners, friends and colleagues who had contributed to what he described as an "extraordinary journey."