- Scopely’s expansion in Saudi Arabia will be spearheaded by Charity Joy, who brings over 17 years’ experience in the games sector.
- Mirai is building a team in Riyadh to strengthen Scopely’s position in the region’s games ecosystem.
Scopely, a leading global games developer and publisher, has appointed Charity Joy to head up Mirai, a Scopely company, in Riyadh. This initiative is part of Scopely’s expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the wider MENA region. The new entity, Mirai, will help to drive Scopely’s continued global growth, supported by Savvy Games Group (“Savvy”).
Savvy, the games and esports company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, acquired Scopely in 2023 for $4.9bn. In joining Savvy, Scopely is benefitting from Savvy’s long-term investment horizon to accelerate its growth and deliver on its strategy.
Charity Joy will oversee the development of Scopely’s operations in KSA, focusing on building Mirai by recruiting local talent and integrating with international expertise and best practices. Mirai will strengthen the company’s presence in KSA, and the wider MENA market while contributing to the region’s growing games and esports ecosystem.
Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Games Group, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Charity Joy to Riyadh. She takes on this role at a pivotal time for games in Saudi Arabia, and I’m confident that her experience and leadership will help drive continued growth in the sector. The establishment of Mirai is an important milestone for Savvy and Scopely, and another success story for Saudi Arabia’s games and esports ecosystem. We are pleased to support Scopely in continuing its global expansion plans, drawing on the emerging talent in the country. Building on this success, Savvy, as Saudi Arabia’s National Champion for Games and Esports, will continue facilitating the localization of world-class international games studios into the country.”
Commenting on her appointment, new CEO of Mirai Charity Joy said:
“I am honored to embark on the journey of leading Mirai, to build an incredible, world-class team that thrives on continuous learning and accelerates the capacity of the game development talent in the MENA region. I’m already inspired by the passionate men and women I’ve met in Riyadh who are ready to make their mark on games. The games industry is such a special place – we do our best work when we harness diversity of thought and skill to come together to create magnificent experiences that captivate audiences, transport them to different worlds, and create a sense of connection, collaboration, and competition. The games industry is watching what’s happening here, and I am excited to hit the ground running.”
Charity brings over 17 years’ experience in game development, having worked at The Walt Disney Company and most recently at Electronic Arts, where she led UK-based studio Criterion, contributing to franchises including Need for Speed and Battlefield. She has led creative teams in game development, delivering engaging experiences to millions worldwide.