Jack Emmert has returned to Star Trek Online developer Cryptic Studios as its CEO.
Speaking to PC Gamer, Emmert said he wants to grow the studio and make sure it’s “around for another 26 years.”
“I’m not there to shut the doors or slowly wind down games or do any of that,” he noted. “I want to make sure that Cryptic is vibrant, and maybe it’s had some rough spots, but I’m willing to join that team, and hopefully together, we can craft something new.
“It’s not going to be the same, but maybe forge a new identity for Cryptic in both its live games and maybe new games.”
Emmert co-founded Cryptic back in 2000, holding multiple executive positions including CCO and COO. He was promoted to CEO in 2011 following John Needham’s departure.
That same year, Cryptic was acquired by Perfect World for $50 million after Atari divested itself from the studio.
Emmert left the developer after he was offered the position of CEO at Daybreak’s Austin studio in 2016.
In 2022, Emmert became CEO of Jackalope Games – NetEase’s first US studio based in Austin, which was later rebranded to Jackalyptic Games. Last November, Emmert announced NetEase had shut the studio down.
“When I founded Cryptic, it was my first job in the industry, and the success that we had – limited, maybe, but still success – definitely emboldened me to be more stubborn, because after all, my way was the way that this stuff got done,” Emmert explained.
“And I think by going to other companies and seeing other ways and other methods, it really helped me defrost the ice that I built up over time, and become much more receptive, much more collaborative.”
He added: “I hope that it’s made me a better CEO, because at the end of the day, I’m a figurehead, and I’m trying to be the voice of the team and the players. Not so much, ‘Hey everybody, do as I say.’ So I think that’s a big change in me personally. Coming back to Cryptic, I’m excited to see how that plays out.”
In 2021, the Embracer Group acquired the North American and publishing arms of Perfect World Entertainment, which included Cryptic.
Following restructuring at Embracer, Cryptic was hit with layoffs in 2023 and 2024 and subsequently began operating under mobile developer Deca Games.
Last November, Embracer divested Cryptic alongside Arc Games. As a result, Cryptic has “reassumed responsibility for its games, including Star Trek Online, Neverwinter, and Champions Online.”
“The Deca Games team members who were previously working on all titles are now part of Cryptic, and I’m excited to be working with them as over the years, they’ve been able to do a good job with each title,” Emmert said.
“During the time when the games were under Deca, multiple Cryptic veterans were still working on the games and still do, which is great. So, for me, the team is a nice mix of new faces and familiar faces – however, I would also love to bring back some more folks who previously worked at Cryptic.”
