Remedy Entertainment’s CEO, Tero Virtala, has resigned from his role at the studio known for its work on the Alan Wake franchise, effective immediately.

Virtala, who held the position since August 2016, will be temporarily succeeded by Markus Mäki, a board member since 1995 and the former Chairman.

The reason for Virtala’s departure has not been disclosed in the official announcement, but it comes on the heels of a profit warning issued to investors just two weeks prior, citing disappointing sales of the game FBC: Firebreak.

Despite the release of updates that improved player engagement and sales, FBC: Firebreak has not met the studio’s expected performance benchmarks. In August, Remedy expressed dissatisfaction with the game’s sales figures, especially noting its struggles on the Steam platform.

Virtala previously stated his belief in the game’s potential, highlighting that players who spent significant time with it tended to leave positive reviews, indicating that the core gameplay experience is enjoyable.

Although stepping down as CEO, Virtala will remain with the company in a transitional role. Mäki expressed gratitude for Virtala’s impactful leadership since 2016 and wished him well in his future endeavors.

FBC: Firebreak marks Remedy’s first foray into online multiplayer gaming, following a successful history of single-player titles.

In related news, Remedy confirmed that development on Control 2 is progressing as planned and that the remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2 are currently in active production. Additionally, Alan Wake 2 has recently reached profitability a year after its launch.