David Polfeldt

David Polfeldt is a video game executive, author, and creative leader with a career spanning more than two decades in the global gaming industry. Polfeldt holds a master's degree in fine arts and began his professional journey as a writer and illustrator of comic books. His early interest in designing board games served as an entry point into the video game sector. After working on web-based games and multimedia projects, Polfeldt founded a small studio, which he managed before joining Massive Entertainment to assist in revitalizing the company.

Polfeldt joined Sweden-based Massive Entertainment and later became the studio's managing director following Ubisoft's acquisition of the company. Under his leadership, Massive Entertainment produced major video game titles such as "Assassin's Creed: Revelations," "Far Cry 3," and both "Tom Clancy's The Division" games. These projects contributed significantly to global video game revenue. As managing director, Polfeldt oversaw three triple-A teams—"The Division," "Avatar," and "Star Wars"—as well as the proprietary Snowdrop game engine, global intellectual property partnerships, and large-scale, multi-site development projects. He managed the studio's growth from a small team with modest budgets to transatlantic productions involving hundreds of employees and budgets exceeding $100 million.

Polfeldt's approach at Massive Entertainment emphasized treating video games as both commercial products and artistic works. He described the industry as similar to Hollywood, but without movie stars, highlighting the need to balance creative personalities with business objectives. Polfeldt has advocated for meritocracy as an effective business strategy, particularly when leading creative teams. He has spoken at major industry events, including D.I.C.E. Europe, addressing topics such as Swedish development culture and the intersection of art and commerce in video games.

In his memoir, "The Dream Architects," Polfeldt details his career in the gaming industry, including pitching an Avatar game to James Cameron and participating in a survivalist camp to better understand the post-apocalyptic themes of "The Division." The book explores the evolution of the video game industry, the recognition of games as art, and the medium's expanding potential for storytelling. "The Dream Architects" has received positive reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and has been praised by industry figures including Hideo Kojima.

After stepping down as managing director of Ubisoft Massive, Polfeldt began working as a management consultant through his company, Flaming Cat AB. He also joined PlayerUnknown Productions as a senior adviser, contributing his expertise in studio culture and creative leadership to emerging game developers. Polfeldt's career bridges fine art, storytelling, and blockbuster entertainment, making him a prominent voice in the video game industry.