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Embracer Ousts Dark Horse Founder Mike Richardson, Installs Jay Komas as Interim CEO

Embracer says the leadership change will modernize Dark Horse for tighter cross-media integration.

Overview

  • Embracer, which acquired Dark Horse in 2022, announced the leadership shift as part of a broader realignment of the publisher within the group.
  • The company said it aims to modernize operations and boost collaboration across publishing, games, film, merchandise and other IP-driven areas.
  • Jay Komas, most recently a leader at Embracer’s Middle-earth Enterprises and previously at Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard and LucasArts, was named interim CEO.
  • Reporting notes uncertainty about Embracer’s long-term commitment to traditional publishing and to producing screen projects, and sources say Komas lacks direct Hollywood experience and had sought the role.
  • Richardson built Dark Horse from an Oregon comics shop into a creator-focused powerhouse behind franchises such as Hellboy, Sin City and 300, and he served as an executive producer on Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy.