Career History
Stephane Kurgan is Co-founder of Queen Digital Entertainment (QDE Studio), a mobile game studio he launched in 2024 with former King CTO and colleague, Sebastian Knutsson. He now splits his time between leadership, creative direction and investment oversight.
Prior to founding QDE, Kurgan was a Venture Partner at Index Ventures, specialising in gaming and consumer technology investments. At Index, he supported growth across European studios such as Dream Games and Sorare.
Earlier in his career, Kurgan served as Chief Operating Officer of King, where he worked alongside co-founder and CEO Riccardo Zacconi during a pivotal period of expansion. He oversaw global studio operations, product strategy and commercial performance across King’s rapidly growing portfolio. Kurgan played a central role in scaling King’s workforce, driving international growth and strengthening its data-led approach to mobile game development. His leadership guided the company through its $7bn IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014 and subsequent acquisition by Activision Blizzard in 2016. During his tenure, King established itself as one of the world’s foremost mobile games businesses, led by the enduring success of Candy Crush Saga and its sequels.
About Queen Digital Entertainment
Queen Digital Entertainment (QDE Studio) is a new mobile game studio operating in stealth mode, co-founded by Kurgan and Sebastian Knutsson. It maintains a small studio presence in Stockholm, Sweden and is currently developing its inaugural puzzle title. According to press reports, QDE has raised about $5m in early funding from its founders and private backers.
The studio has already recruited former King personnel to support design, monetisation and live operations. Reports suggest that its first game may follow a match-3 style format to compete in core casual markets. QDE’s strategy centres on combining experience from King’s past successes with nimble, modern development practices, aiming to deliver a high-quality mobile title with strong retention, community and monetisation.
Candy Crush Saga, King