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Around two months ago, the Embracer Group sold off developer Cryptic Studios (the team behind MMO games Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and Neverwinter) and publisher Arc Games, which were acquired by members of Arc Games' management team.

Today, Cryptic is announcing that veteran game developer executive Jack Emmert has returned to the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Key emphasis on the word returned: Emmert began his career in the gaming industry at Cryptic in 2000, right at the studio's foundation, and was eventually promoted to CEO in 2011. He left the company in December 2015. After a brief stint at Perfect World Entertainment, Emmert joined Daybreak as CEO, managing the superhero MMORPG DC Universe Online and later working on an unannounced MMO when the studio changed its name to Dimensional Ink Games.

I first interviewed him during this time, just before COVID went global. Back then, the game was unknown; we'd later learn it would have been a superhero MMO based on Marvel IPs, but Daybreak canceled it in 2022. The following year, Jack Emmert founded a new studio, Jackalyptic, with NetEase's help, and I interviewed him about an upcoming MMO based on the Warhammer franchise. Unfortunately, that game got canceled, too, amid many other projects and studio closures ordered by NetEase.

Now, Emmert comes back home, in a way. As part of the Cryptic news, I've been able to chat with him again about his return to the CEO position and what that means for the games currently managed by the California-based developer.

Jack, I think the last time we spoke, you were working at Jackalyptic on a Warhammer game. I’m guessing you probably cannot talk about anything that happened there.

Jack Emmert: Not really. I loved my time at NetEase and Jackalyptic; everybody was terrific. I have zero hard feelings; NetEase treated us wonderfully. Things didn't work out—that's the game industry. I've been through this rodeo many times before and I have a lot of gratitude. But I have even more gratitude that this opportunity came out of nowhere. Right as one chapter in my life was coming to a close, a brand new one started. It is unbelievable to me that I'm back at Cryptic.

You were there from the beginning as one of the founders. What are your first impressions of being back?

Jack Emmert: It’s fascinating. Often as an adult, if I travel back, I find myself reverting into the kid that I was—the old behaviors and the old mannerisms. It's hard to escape. But what's interesting about returning to Cryptic is that I've changed, and so has Cryptic. We're learning about each other for the first time. Some parts are familiar, but most of it isn't. It's fascinating to see how Cryptic grew in my absence. I'm learning so much from the teams and everything that they've accomplished. I'm honored that they would have me back. I hope with all the things that I've learned over the past 10 years that I can bring something new to the table, not just what I was during the first 16 years of my career at Cryptic.

A couple of months ago, Cryptic itself, along with Arc Games, underwent a change in management. Are you 100% in charge of your own destiny?

Jack Emmert: Yes, we are. We are 100% in charge of our own destiny. I'm thrilled. I know the guys from Arc Games from back in the Perfect World days; they are super smart. I am absolutely thrilled to be on this journey. Even better, Arc Games is fully committed to Cryptic Studios, and the support that we're getting is incredible. Our teams on all of our games are bigger today than when I left 10 years ago. That shows that Arc really believes that while these games are older, they still have a lot to offer, and they have great fans.

Are you working remotely or are you back in the studio proper?

Jack Emmert: I'm working remotely from Austin, Texas. Most of the studio is remote. I'm a big believer in that model; it increases the quality of life a lot. There certainly are challenges with communication, but those are solvable if the team is committed. I think it's the way to go with game development.

As the new CEO of Cryptic, will you oversee all the games closely?

Jack Emmert: Absolutely. And I don't just oversee; I’m going to be the games' biggest fan. I've been playing and grinding away in Neverwinter, getting to know the new systems and how content is organized. I'll do the same thing with Star Trek Online and Champions Online. Unless I know those games as a player, I don't really offer much to the teams. I don't know the tools anymore, and if I were just a business CEO, I would just be saying "make more money." Anybody off the street can do that. In order for me to add value, I need to be able to understand those games as a player and contribute meaningfully to decisions on development.

Can you share briefly where the games are at and what's coming next?

Jack Emmert: Right now, I'm still coming up to speed, as I only started two weeks ago. My impression is that the teams have very solid plans for content moving forward. I'm not intending to upset those in any way because I think they are good plans. As we start moving further into the future, I'll be collaborating more on what we should do. I'm also highly committed to looking at ways for us to re-engage players who have dropped out. The success of WoW Classic and Guild Wars shows the value of these nostalgic relaunches. Our games have been around for over 15 years now, and there are a lot of people who have played all three of them.

Does that also include Champions Online? It seems Star Trek Online and Neverwinter are updated more regularly. Is that going to change with Champions Online?

Jack Emmert: Change happens if there's a demand. If you play Champions and you love it, come back, because Arc is going to give us the support for any game that shows growth. Period. I’m bullish on Champions; we've got some stuff, but we could use you. Come on back, build a champion, and let's make that game great. The superhero MMO niche hasn't really been cornered quite yet; it’s an opportunity for us to do some great stuff together.

Could such opportunities involve being available on more platforms, like the Nintendo Switch 2?

Jack Emmert: I'm not going to eliminate any opportunity. We did put DC Universe Online on the Nintendo Switch, so I understand the market to a degree. We'll be looking at any opportunity to get these games in people's hands.

What do you think about the future of the industry? Do you see new investment happening from Western developers in MMOs?

Jack Emmert: It would be difficult for anybody to go to a Western publisher and ask for money to develop an MMORPG. The track record with Western publishers and MMORPGs is not very good for a lot of reasons. However, I think there's a lot of opportunity to launch a game that isn't necessarily an MMO at the start, but grows into something. A model like Warframe is a really good one; it is vastly bigger than it ever was when it first launched. That is a direction many games could go. A multiplayer story-based RPG could add an open-world component through an update or expansion. Instead of a hundred-million-dollar investment all upfront, you're making a series of $20 million bets so that at the end of five to seven years you have that big MMO, having paid for it and grown the community along the way.

It's interesting you mentioned Warframe. Greg Street told me the same thing: that Warframe started small and grew over time, and it could be a model for future MMOs.

Jack Emmert: I know Greg quite well. I would not be surprised to see someone bootstrap a very small product, get some initial success, and continue to invest in it. Subnautica was like that, too. I think that's where you're going to see the new MMOs. To MMO fans, I'd say be patient; if you support a product and love it, just keep supporting it. It'll get there.

When can players expect the next big updates for Cryptic's games?

Jack Emmert: I have a rough idea of the battle plans. I was just reviewing them and I've got some surprises up my sleeve. We will roll them out as soon as we're able to nail down dates.

Can you share the approximate size of each team and whether there is overlap between them?

Jack Emmert: In general, I'm not a fan of sharing personnel between teams. I like teams that are dedicated to a product because they know its ins and outs. I can't share exact team sizes as that is confidential information, but they are bigger than when I left. Our licensors, Paramount and Wizards of the Coast, are terrific and they’ve extended their hands to help out with tie-ins and other collaborations.

I recently re-downloaded Neverwinter and noticed that the PC version still doesn't have official controller support, even though the game is available on consoles. Are you going to add it?

Jack Emmert: That's a great suggestion. I never even thought about it before, but I'll write that down.

A lot of PC players play on gamepads nowadays, and it’s good for accessibility too.

Jack Emmert: Absolutely, it's a great idea.

Thank you for your time, Jack, and good luck.

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