A. Dylan Jadeja will replace Nicolo Laurent as CEO at Riot Games later this year.

Nicolo Laurent, CEO of Riot Games since 2009 has announced that he will step down from his position at the end of this year and will be replaced by Riot’s current president, A. Dylan Jadeja. Laurent attributes the change to personal reasons and notes that he plans to return to France and spend more time with his family.

Riot Games expects the transition to be completed by the end of 2023 and Laurent will remain in his position until then. He will remain an advisor to Riot after his departure and states that he has no plans to work for another company or start his own after the change.

Laurent is one of the most prominent figures in Riot’s recent history and has worked for the company for more than 14 years. He joined Riot Games in 2009 as Vice President International, working on the company’s international expansion. He was later appointed president of Global Publishing, before moving to the role of CEO in 2017.

Laurent will be replaced by another senior figure in the company, the current president of Riot Games. A.Dylan Jadeja has worked at Riot for more than a decade, holding CFO and COO positions. Jadeja joined the gaming giant after working as a vice president at Goldman Sachs and as a senior associate at A.T. Kearney.

In an internal email shared on Riot’s website, Laurent went into detail about how his position had affected his personal life and expressed that the decision stemmed from a desire to better prioritize family life over work life. Laurent is originally from France, but Riot Games is based in Los Angeles, USA.

Both the former and new Riot CEO shared statements in a statement posted on the Riot Games website, and both expressed hope and excitement for what’s to come. Jadeja noted that he “might do some things differently than I had before.” Laurent said he believes Dylan Jadeja is the perfect leader to manage Riot in the coming years.

I can imagine that this news may seem sudden, but honestly, it’s a decision that’s been on my mind for a while. I have been fortunate to have a long and amazing journey with Riot. I joined the company when we were a 40-person startup in 2009, with the goal of bringing League of Legends to players around the world. And that journey has brought me here, serving all of you, as CEO of Riot. It’s a story I’m very proud of, but if I’m completely honest, it’s also been difficult.

Nicolo Laurent, CEO of Riot Games