For fans of Cities: Skylines, Hearts of Iron IV and Stellaris, the next chapter at Paradox Interactive will begin with a familiar face in charge. Mattias Lilja is preparing to become CEO, but the more interesting part of this leadership change is what he wants to prioritize: stronger player relationships, better modding tools and continued investment in deep strategy games.
Rather than introducing an outsider to reshape the publisher, the company is promoting an executive who helped build some of its most recognizable franchises. Meanwhile, outgoing CEO Fredrik Wester will remain involved in its long-term direction.
Paradox Interactive will change CEOs on January 4, 2027
On November 11, 2026, the Paradox Interactive Board of Directors announced that Mattias Lilja will succeed Fredrik Wester as CEO on January 4, 2027. Lilja currently serves as Deputy CEO, while Wester has decided to step away from daily executive leadership and concentrate on the company’s future as a Board member.
The transition is designed to preserve continuity. According to the official corporate announcement, the division of responsibilities has already been evolving since 2021.
Here are the essential details of the handover:
- November 11, 2026: The Board formally announces the appointment of Mattias Lilja.
- Until January 4, 2027: Fredrik Wester continues serving as CEO to support an orderly transition.
- January 4, 2027: Mattias Lilja officially becomes CEO, taking responsibility for leading the company.
- Fredrik Wester’s next role: He remains on the Board of Directors, concentrating on long-term development and strategic goals.
- Ownership: Wester remains the company’s largest shareholder.
- Strategic direction: The publisher says its existing direction will remain in place.
Consequently, this is not being presented as a sudden change in business philosophy. Instead, it formalizes responsibilities that have gradually shifted between the two executives.
The new CEO wants to work more closely with players and modders
For the gaming community, the most relevant part of the announcement is Lilja’s vision. He believes the company’s distinctive identity comes from creating deep strategy and management experiences. Therefore, his plans emphasize improving that foundation rather than abandoning it.
Lilja has outlined five priorities for the next stage:
- Invest further in the core business: Strengthen the activities and gaming experiences that define the publisher.
- Push game design forward: Explore new possibilities within its established approach to strategy and management games.
- Build closer player relationships: Increase collaboration with the communities surrounding its games.
- Improve tools and services: Develop more and better resources for modders and players.
- Refine the organization: Continue improving internal processes while keeping player value central to decisions.
The commitment to modders is particularly worth watching. In complex strategy games, community-created content can provide additional ways to experiment with established systems.
Elsewhere in the genre, the Fog of War expansion and free update for Diplomacy is Not an Option offer another example of how developers can support different player interests through additional content and creative options.
Mattias Lilja helped shape three of the publisher’s biggest franchises
Lilja brings an unusually broad history within the organization. He joined Paradox Interactive in 2009 as its first producer and subsequently held leadership positions across several important areas of the business.
His career includes overseeing the studio organization, leading Publishing and serving as Chief Operating Officer. Under his leadership, the company launched franchises including Cities: Skylines, Hearts of Iron IV and Stellaris.
Those titles represent different approaches to management and strategy. Cities: Skylines focuses on building and managing cities, Hearts of Iron IV explores historical grand strategy, and Stellaris takes strategic decision-making into space. Together, they illustrate the breadth of the portfolio Lilja has helped develop.
He returned to Paradox Interactive in 2021, alongside Wester’s return to the CEO position. Since then, his responsibilities have increasingly involved strategic execution, organizational culture, operational efficiency and relationships with players.
That background helps explain why the appointment is being framed as continuity. Lilja is already familiar with the creative and commercial challenges of managing a publisher whose games often demand significant time and commitment from their communities.
Paradox Interactive is choosing continuity during an industry transition
Wester has explained that he never intended to remain CEO indefinitely. Since returning to the position, he says the company has streamlined its strategy, rebuilt its development pipeline and improved its commercial offering, with Lilja playing an important role throughout that process.
Board chairman Håkan Sjunnesson has also expressed appreciation for Wester’s contributions. He considers the company well positioned despite the broader challenges facing the video game industry.
Leadership changes can take very different forms across gaming. For example, Black Forest Games recently became independent from THQ Nordic through a management buyout. That situation involves a different corporate arrangement, but it highlights how established gaming businesses are reconsidering leadership, ownership and their future direction.
In this case, the important distinction is that executive responsibility is changing without an announced shift in overall strategy. Wester will remain involved at Board level, while Lilja takes direct responsibility for carrying the existing vision forward.
The practical test will come later, when the publisher demonstrates how its commitments to game design, community collaboration and modding support translate into tangible improvements.
Ultimately, the January 2027 handover gives Paradox Interactive an opportunity to build on its established identity under an experienced leader. Whether that produces better tools, stronger community relationships and more ambitious strategy experiences will be the real story to follow.
Creator of the website, Pokemon trainer by nature. Trying to report on everything related to the world of video games, series and movies. Yu-Gi-Oh is my weakness, collecting cards since the dawn of time.
