SNK's CEO is to "transition" into an advisory role, it has been revealed.
Former Sega president Kenji Matsubara has been in the position since 2021. His new role will allow him to "continue to lend his expertise and vision," to the Japanese company, which has been owned by the Saudi Arabian MiSK Foundation since 2022.
"During his tenure as CEO, Mr. Matsubara has been instrumental in driving the company’s growth and innovation," said SNK in a statement. "He transformed SNK by expanding its development division and strengthening its sales and marketing functions, building it into a global publisher capable of competing worldwide."
SNK's board will now move to appoint the Chairman of the Board to assume the interim role of CEO.
Before he joined SNK, Matsubara served in a number of positions at Sega before resigning in 2020 due to "personal reasons." Prior to working at Sega, he was CEO and president of Temco Koei. He was also employed as CEO of Zynga for a short period.
"The board expresses its deepest gratitude to Mr. Matsubara for his dedication and leadership during a transformative period in the company’s history," continues SNK's statement. "SNK Corporation remains committed to its strategic vision and is excited about the future as it enters this new phase of leadership."
Founded in 1978 as Shin Nihon Kikaku, SNK is famous for its arcade titles, such as King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown and Metal Slug, as well as its Neo Geo hardware platform.
Its most recent effort, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, launched to positive reviews but has come under fire for including some rather odd celebrity characters.