The publisher behind Ticket to Ride, Splendor, and 7 Wonders just shuffled its leadership in the middle of an acquisition spree. Philippe Mouret, who co-founded Asmodee in 1995 and went on to create Space Cowboys, is stepping back from heading studios after more than three decades in the business. Julia Marcelin, who has spent nearly seven years at the company, takes over five major studios: Days of Wonder, Space Cowboys, Repos Production, Libellud, and Next Move.
That is a serious portfolio. Between them, those studios are responsible for Ticket to Ride, Splendor, 7 Wonders, Dixit, Mysterium, and Azul. Marcelin spent the past year as deputy head preparing for the transition and was already a visible force at industry events, representing Asmodee when Repos Production's Toy Battle took home France's As d'Or earlier this year.
The changes do not stop there. Pete Fenlon, who has led Catan Studio for a decade, is also stepping back. Fenlon oversaw the Catan brand through the milestone of 45 million copies sold and last year's 6th edition launch. He transitions to a "storyteller" and "mentor at large" role, fitting for someone whose career stretches back to Mayfair Games, where he helped bring Catan to English-speaking audiences in the first place. Mike Bisogno, a veteran of Spin Master's games division with 17 years of experience across brands like Rubik's, takes over as head of Catan Studio.
Mouret, for his part, is not leaving entirely. He will remain involved with the publishing team alongside Asmodee's Chief Product Officer Jean-Sebastien De Barros.
This reshuffle arrives during a period of aggressive expansion for Asmodee. In recent months, the publisher has acquired party game maker ATM Gaming (the studio behind Speed Bac, which has sold over 3 million copies) for up to 250 million euros, snapped up CMON's Zombicide and Sheriff of Nottingham IPs, and launched Nekuma Studio to bring Japanese games to a global audience. New leadership at the top of five beloved studios, with Catan's steward also changing, is a signal that Asmodee is reorganising for what comes next.
Sources: BoardGameWire
