July 2026 Jobs Roundup: Notable Industry Moves and Appointments

The games industry is constantly evolving, with numerous changes in personnel across different companies. This roundup aims to compile the most notable moves and appointments. For inclusion in future roundups, please submit details of new appointments or transitions to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Jared Palmer, formerly the VP of engineering at Xbox, has joined Cognition AI to lead their engineering efforts. "I appreciate the opportunity to have worked with Asha Sharma and the entire Xbox team for an incredible year," Palmer stated. His appointment at Xbox was announced in May, following major leadership changes under CEO Asha Sharma. Nina Brown has stepped down as president of the GDC Festival of Gaming. Brown initially joined Informa, the festival's parent company, in 2022 and was appointed president in 2025. A GDC spokesperson expressed gratitude for Brown's contributions, including the relaunch of the GDC Festival of Gaming. Neil McClarty, former SVP of publishing at Jagex, has launched Kritiq, an advisory firm for live-service games. McClarty emphasized the importance of helping studios maintain player trust, stating, "Too many great games never get the chance to last, and it's rarely because they weren’t good enough. Somewhere along the way, the studio loses the thread of what made players trust them." Al Bickham has returned to Creative Assembly as senior brands communication manager, a role that leverages his 13 years of experience with the company, particularly as principle development communications manager on the Total War team. Cedrick Collomb has been appointed CTO at Liquidnitro Games, bringing his experience as CTO at Tencent Games Global and Electronic Arts. Bill Kang has joined Lil Snack as chief operating officer, following 12 years as head of entertainment and partnerships at Supercell and a role as director of strategic initiatives at Scopely. Cody Woodside has been appointed social media marketing manager at Nintendo of America, previously serving as manager of production and social media at Warner Bros. Discovery. Joe Ziegler has left Bungie four months after the launch of Marathon, with his role as game director being passed to Del Chafe III, who will work alongside creative director Julia Nardin. Criss Bürki has joined Capcom as manager, marketing strategy – influencers, having previously held the role of global creator campaign manager at Ubisoft. Fanny Vaudour has been appointed as a producer at CD Projekt Red, bringing experience from Razing Studios, Chamo Games, Housemarque, and Ubisoft Paris Studio. Mahmoud Ziater has been appointed commercial lead at Qwacks, previously serving as marketing and sales manager at True Gaming and growth and partnerships advisor at Rivaln. Chris Chung has been appointed head of global business group at Neowiz, leveraging his experience as chief product officer at Wargaming, head of business at NCSoft Korea and NCSoft West, and founder of Motiga. A Neowiz representative highlighted Chung's expertise in bringing games to the global market, stating, "Chung's experience in every stage of bringing the game to the global market is exactly why he is the right fit to lead our Global Business Group." Dylan Beale has been appointed studio head of Larian's Guildford studio, previously serving as studio director at DPS Games and development director at Wargaming UK. Jonnie Bryant has joined Team17 as communications director, formerly working as global PR director at Bethesda Softworks. Gemma Cannon has been appointed creative designer at Sega Europe, previously serving as digital designer at IGN Entertainment. Teemu Koski has taken on the role of CEO of MENA business at Nodwin Gaming, having joined the company in 2025 as chief business officer for MENA. Robert Henrysson has announced his departure as CEO of Supermassive Games and partner at Nordisk Games, reflecting on his time guiding the studio through industry changes and establishing a culture of quality. Tim Stokes has joined Nex Playground as interim general manager, focusing on commercial growth and expansion across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Ryan Ferwerda has been promoted to head of live services & mobile at Electronic Arts Tiburon, previously serving as head of mobile. Emily Dixon has been appointed senior account executive at Bastion, transitioning from her role as a games journalist. Hakan Burak Karaman has been promoted to head of games at Rovio Entertainment, previously serving as senior product manager. Christopher Serra has been appointed VP of business development and licensing at Paramount Games, formerly director of games business development at Oculus VR. Alexis Bonte will leave his role as CEO of Stillfront, a position he assumed in October 2024, having joined the company in 2017 as group COO. Jakub Karolczak has been promoted to production coordinator at 11 Bit Studios, previously serving as senior producer. Hector Parra has been appointed live game producer at Niantic, bringing experience from CGBOT and Dracma Studios. Nicholas Penwarden has announced his departure from Epic Games, where he served as engineering fellow and VP of engineering for 15 years. Raptor PR has appointed Ruzbeh Gazdar as account director and Sophia Hollis as senior account executive. Joe Kearns has joined Yrs Truly as project manager, previously serving as a producer at ICHI Worldwide. Jaakko Harlas has announced his departure from Supercell, where he served as head of investments for over 12 years.