Embark Studios has parted ways with cofounder and chief content officer Rob Runesson after allegations of misconduct circulated online.
The studio, known for The Finals and Arc Raiders, said it became aware of allegations involving an Embark employee and responded by hiring a law firm to run an external investigation. According to a statement shared with IGN, the investigation did not substantiate the allegations. Even so, Embark said the situation had become unsustainable and that the company and Runesson mutually agreed to separate.
In its statement, Embark said: “We take these matters seriously, and as a part of our process for addressing any types of allegations, we immediately hired a law firm to conduct an external investigation. The investigation did not substantiate the allegations, but we found the situation unsustainable and mutually agreed to part ways with Rob.”
The claims were reportedly tied to an alleged inappropriate relationship with a streamer connected to The Finals esports scene. According to IGN, the accusations spread online through multiple Google documents and were discussed across social media channels and subreddits. One anonymous claim said a popular female streamer had concerns about a sexual relationship with Runesson and felt unable to act because of his influence and support for her channel.
However, IGN also reported that the streamer later contacted the outlet and said some of the information being shared online was misleading or taken out of context.
Runesson was one of the former DICE developers who helped found Embark Studios in 2018. Before joining Embark, he worked as an art lead on several major games, including Mirror’s Edge, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Star Wars: Battlefront. He cofounded Embark alongside Magnus Nordin, Stefan Strandberg, Jenny Huldschiner, and Patrick Söderlund.
Embark, owned by Nexon, has grown into a major studio in recent years. It’s 2025 extraction shooter Arc Raiders has sold more than 14 million copies, according to the original report.
The company has also recently addressed separate concerns involving The Finals’ competitive community. Last month, Embark announced that it would temporarily pause its outbound esports efforts. In a message posted on The Finals Discord, the studio said the move was meant to protect the community, players, partners, and the game’s long-term health.
Embark added that the current season’s competitive model was built with strong intentions, but it was the studio’s responsibility to make sure it met the standards it had set.
The departure of Rob Runesson marks a major leadership change for Embark Studios as it continues to manage both internal concerns and wider issues around The Finals esports scene.