Angry Birds Gaming Chief Leaves Rovio

The gaming chief at Angry Birds developer Rovio has left the company. Jami Laes quit the Finnish studio to launch a new start-up, according to a new report from Reuters.

A spokesperson for Rovio told GamesIndustry.biz: "Jami had some personal projects he's decided to focus on and we wish him the best of luck with his endeavors." 20-year gaming veteran David Byrne has stepped in to fill the role. He joined Rovio in September 2013.

With over 1 billion downloads to date, Angry Birds is one of the most well-known mobile games ever. Rovio has also expanded the series to an animated TV and various consumer merchandising campaigns. A star-studded Angry Birds movie is also in the works.

Despite this expansion, the company hasn't released any other games on the scale of Angry Birds, and recently announced a round of layoffs that will affect 14 percent of its total workforce. Rovio's longtime top executive, Mikael Hed, also recently stepped down amid falling profits.