Supermassive Games CEO Robert Henrysson steps down after two rounds of layoffs and Directive 8020 launch

Robert Henrysson is leaving his role as CEO of Supermassive Games and his position at parent company Nordisk Games, less than two months after the studio shipped Directive 8020. He announced the departure via LinkedIn.

Nordisk's statement credits Henrysson with rebuilding the studio's leadership team, sharpening its strategy, and delivering Directive 8020 — the latest entry in the Dark Pictures anthology — to what it calls "the strongest critical reception in the series to date." PC Gamer gave it 85%, calling it an unmissable sci-fi horror adventure. On Steam, the game sits at a mixed user rating with a relatively low review count compared to earlier Dark Pictures titles. Before landing the Supermassive role, Henrysson also served as Chairman and Interim CEO of Avalanche Studios Group in a broader operational capacity for Nordisk. His tenure at Supermassive included two rounds of layoffs — one in February 2024, shortly after he replaced departing founders Pete and Joe Samuels, and another in July 2025 — both part of the wider industry contraction that has cut thousands of jobs across the games business since the post-pandemic correction hit.

Supermassive built its reputation on narrative horror games, starting with Until Dawn in 2015 and expanding into the Dark Pictures anthology — a series of shorter, standalone cinematic horror titles. The studio has been navigating a difficult stretch alongside most of the mid-tier games industry, where rising development costs and shrinking consumer spending have forced repeated restructuring even at studios with recognizable franchises.

Henrysson said he plans to spend the summer with his family but left the door open for advisory roles and whatever comes next. No successor has been announced yet.