Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the gaming sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we put together periodic round‑ups to capture the most noteworthy moves. If your organization has recent staffing changes that belong in this list, please forward the employee’s name, new title, new company, and previous role to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Tim Coombs has been named head of brand marketing for Amazon Luna.
Before this appointment, Coombs spent several years at Microsoft’s Xbox division, where he held the position of director of brand management until July 2026. He originally joined Xbox in 2020 as senior manager for brand strategy, quickly rising through the ranks. Earlier in his career, Coombs was product marketing manager for Amazon Lumberyard in 2017, and later advanced to senior product marketing manager and team lead for Amazon Game Tech, a role he kept until April 2020.
Erik Mogensen is exiting Hasbro and its subsidiary Wizards of the Coast after a three‑year stint as senior director of business development for digital gaming. Prior to his tenure at Hasbro, Mogensen dedicated 23 years to Games Workshop, culminating in the role of head of business development and consumer product licensing. "It’s not lost on me how special it’s been to have worked on, and for, my favourite brands," Mogensen reflected.
"From the original Warhammer to the latest Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Transformers… the list goes on. I’m eager to see what the next chapter holds, wherever it may lead." Ryan Rubin has joined Blizzard Entertainment as a senior producer. Rubin’s most recent experience was at Netflix, where he served as senior producer on two mobile releases: Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset.
Before that, he spent five years at Riot Games, contributing to creative development across the League of Legends franchise. Andrey Odintsov is now the head of marketing at Battlestate Games. His previous position was user acquisition manager at Multicast Games, and he currently operates as an independent consultant specializing in growth and go‑to‑market strategies for video games. Dan Lazarides has taken the role of chief marketing officer at Frontier Developments.
Lazarides arrives from Sega Europe, where he was senior vice president of marketing. He succeeds Jo Cooke, who moved into the CEO seat at Frontier earlier this year. "We are delighted to welcome Dan to Frontier, who brings a wealth of experience from some of the industry’s biggest IPs," Frontier CEO Jo Cooke said.
"His leadership will sustain our upward momentum, and his focus on community‑first initiatives will ensure our publishing team champions player creativity and celebrates the diverse ways gamers engage with our titles." Karen Ionescu has been appointed digital sales manager for Kalypso Media UK. Ionescu’s background includes a sales manager role at Numskull Games and earlier positions at Nintendo and Rising Star Games. Managing Director Andrew Johnson praised the hire: "Karen brings extensive commercial expertise and long‑standing relationships across both retail and digital channels, making her a fantastic addition to our team." Hannah Barrett earned a promotion to senior account executive at the esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right. Barrett originally joined the firm as an account executive in December 2025 and has since demonstrated strong client‑service skills.
Supercell announced Anni Pyy as its new contract manager. Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore, where she oversaw licensing agreements and partnership contracts. Nathan Solbrandt has been named senior vice president of business development at fintech platform ZBD. Solbrandt’s prior experience includes senior account executive work at Motorica and a vice‑president role overseeing business development for the Americas at Xsolla.
Olivia Lee is now internal events producer at Riot Games, having previously served as associate producer for internal events and programs, where she coordinated large‑scale employee gatherings and community‑focused initiatives. Ciarah Pritchard joins Xsolla as an account coordinator after working as an account performance manager at Playback Rewards, where she helped optimize client revenue streams.
Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as vice president of communications. Thompson first joined Bethesda in 2009 as director of publications, later becoming associate VP of communications. She left in 2019 for Electronic Arts, where she led product and studio integrated communications.
"I’m excited to partner with the talented teams at Bethesda and Xbox, supporting the creators behind some of the most iconic franchises in entertainment, and helping bring their vision to players worldwide," Thompson said. Maddie Richter has been hired as social media marketing manager for Nintendo of America. Before Nintendo, Richter managed social media for Alaska Airlines, where she grew follower engagement and led cross‑platform campaigns.
Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as a narrative designer. Duffield previously held the senior narrative designer title at Series Entertainment, crafting storylines and character arcs for several indie titles. The UK‑based publisher Yogscast Games announced three new hires: Charlotte Willis, Robin Mawhinney, and Charlotte Pang. Willis becomes PR and influencer manager after serving as creator and community director at Diva Agency.
Mawhinney steps in as production coordinator, having worked as a junior producer at Atelier 11. Pang joins as publishing coordinator; her background includes roles as producer, animator, and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, as well as teaching game design, animation, and coding at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone. Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger have been added to Roblox’s Foundation AI team to support the mobile‑first AI creation tool Build in New Zealand. The duo co‑founded the interactive AI platform Jars AI in 2023, securing $3.5 million in funding from Google and other investors.
"At Jars AI we saw hundreds of thousands of creators use AI to shape weird new worlds and stories, and we’re excited to keep pushing the boundaries of AI entertainment in our new roles," Holm explained. Sathvik Sudireddy is now marketing manager for live services at Rockstar Games. Sudireddy previously worked as a product manager on Call of Duty at Activision after completing an internship in business development at the same studio. Joe Chard has taken the position of lead product manager at Netflix Games.
Chard’s résumé includes a six‑year tenure as vice president, studio general manager, and head of product at Jam City, as well as senior roles at The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Entertainment.
These appointments, departures, and promotions illustrate the dynamic nature of the gaming industry, where talent moves fluidly between studios, platforms, and emerging technology sectors. As companies continue to expand their portfolios and explore new interactive experiences, the demand for seasoned marketers, producers, and developers remains high. Keeping an eye on these personnel shifts can provide valuable insight into strategic directions, upcoming projects, and potential collaborations across the global gaming ecosystem.