Patrick Söderlund, the CEO of Embark Studios and the mind behind the success of Arc Raiders, has just taken on an executive role at the South Korean giant Nexon in early April 2026. The promotion places the veteran in a strategic position to dictate the direction of famous franchises, while he advocates for the aggressive use of artificial intelligence in the development of new games.
The move comes shortly after Arc Raiders established itself as one of the big names in the extraction shooter genre. Despite its success, the title faced controversy over the use of AI-generated voices, something Söderlund himself admitted was inferior to the work of professional actors. However, this perception did not slow down the executive’s plans, who now seeks to apply the technology across Nexon’s entire portfolio, including brands like MapleStory and Dave the Diver.
The Monolake Project and the Future of Code
During a briefing for investors, Söderlund explained that the industry faces increasingly smaller profit margins and difficulties in maintaining public interest after major releases. Therefore, Nexon is betting on the Monolake project, an initiative that integrates generative AI directly into the studios’ workflow. The goal is to allow developers to spend less time writing manual code and more time innovating in gameplay.
Söderlund states that Nexon’s differentiator will be understanding the real challenge of AI, rather than just investing in tools without purpose. For him, the technology does not replace creatives, but frees them from repetitive tasks that no longer serve the modern process. In this way, the company hopes to produce high-level games at a fraction of the traditional cost of a AAA title.
