Jagex appoints Phil Mansell as COO and acting CEO as Cousens departs

Jagex has appointed Phil Mansell as COO and acting CEO, the company has announced today. He replaces outgoing CEO Rod Cousens, who has now left the studio.

Having worked at Jagex for over five years, Mansell was previously vice president of the studio and was responsible for its Runescape portfolio. In recent years, both Runescape and Old School Runescape have seen a surge in player growth, with both titles making record-breaking contributions to the studio’s overall financial performance.

Driven by a passion for creativity, our teams are focused on what really matters for the core business – supporting our live titles and their huge communities and leading the creation of new games for multiple devices," Mansell said in a statement.

"Off the back of record financial performance, Jagex is in an incredibly fortunate and positive position. We have become stronger with every year that passes and now that we are united with our parent company, ZhongJi Holding, it is both an honour and a privilege to be take Jagex to its next stage.”

The Runescape universe is set to expand in 2017 with the arrival of multiple Runescape Expansions later this year. These will reveal new parts of the world map, giving players plenty of new things to explore and discover. The first Runescape Expansion, entitled The Golden City of Menaphos, will launch this summer.

Jagex also hopes to build on the success of Old School Runescape by focusing more closely on its eSports potential.

"With a unique long-form approach to competitive gaming events,Old School’s Deadman Tournament consistently delivers a high-profile audience, making it the most eSport-centric MMORPG," the company said in a statement. "As Jagex continues to buildRuneScape’s share of the PC market, new games for additional platforms will strengthen the IP further."