Head of design DICE leaves for another company

DICE’s head of design, Fawzi Mesmar, left the studio after the release of Battlefield 2042. Mesmar has worked on games in the Battlefield and Star Wars: Battlefront franchises. He will be working for an undisclosed other company.

Mesmar had been planning to leave DICE for some time, according to an internal e-mail that was seen by VGC. The CEO said he received “an offer he could not refuse” from another company. That company would have offered to wait for Mesmar until after the release of Battlefield 2042. Next Friday is Mesmar’s last day at DICE. It is not known which company he will work for, but his upcoming position will also be in Stockholm.

Fawzi Mesmar and DICE manager Oskar Gabrielson have said they have been discussing Mesmar’s successor for ‘some time’, but it is not yet known who that will be. DICE’s next head design will be “announced in due course.” Mesmar’s departure has been hushed up until after the release of Battlefield 2042, to keep the focus on the game’s development.

Mesmar was previously a studio director at King, maker of Candy Crush. Since 2019, he has led DICE’s game designers and has been involved in Star Wars Battlefront II, Battlefield V, and Battlefield 2042, among others.

Update, 11.40: Text has been edited to avoid suggesting a link between Mesmar’s departure and criticism of Battlefield 2042.