DeNA abruptly replaces its top U.S. executive Clive Downie

Japan’s DeNA abruptly announced today that it had replaced DeNA West chief executive Clive Downie with Shintaro Asako.

Downie headed the U.S.-based DeNA West business, formerly known as Ngmoco, which DeNA acquired for $400 million a couple of years ago. DeNA West published games such as first-person shooter The Drowning for iOS (pictured above) and helped extend the Mobage mobile-social gamer network in the West.

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Asako was formerly chief financial officer of DeNA West, and he will now serve as CEO. DeNA did not say where Downie had gone — only that he had resigned his role. Asako has been CFO at DeNA West since 2011. Prior to that, he was CFO at MediciNova.