Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. To help industry observers stay informed, we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most notable personnel moves. If your organization has recent staffing changes that belong in this list, please forward the name, new title, new company, and previous role to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
Tim Coombs has been named head of brand marketing for Amazon Luna. Coombs spent the previous four years at Xbox, where he rose to director of brand management after joining in 2020 as senior manager for brand strategy. Before his Xbox tenure, he helped launch Amazon Lumberyard as product marketing manager in 2017 and later led the Amazon Game Tech team as senior product marketing manager and team lead until April 2020.
His deep experience in both console and cloud‑gaming ecosystems positions him to shape Luna’s brand narrative as the service expands its library and reaches new audiences. Erik Mogensen has exited Hasbro and its subsidiary Wizards of the Coast after three years as senior director of business development for digital gaming.
Prior to his Hasbro stint, Mogensen devoted 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. "First Warhammer, and most recently Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Transformers… the list goes on. I’m very much looking forward to my next chapter, whatever and wherever that may be." His departure marks the end of a period in which he helped translate tabletop IPs into successful digital experiences.
Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as a senior producer. Rubin previously held a senior producer position at Netflix, where he oversaw two shipped mobile titles—Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset. He also spent five years at Riot Games, contributing to creative development across the League of Legends franchise. Rubin’s background in narrative‑driven mobile games and live‑service production suggests he will bring fresh perspectives to Blizzard’s expanding portfolio of titles and cross‑platform initiatives.
Andrey Odintsov has been appointed head of marketing at Battlestate Games. Before this role, Odintsov managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and currently works as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various gaming projects. His expertise in performance marketing and community building is expected to accelerate Battlestate’s reach, especially for its flagship titles.
Dan Lazarides steps into the chief marketing officer seat at Frontier Developments. Lazarides previously served as senior vice president of marketing for Sega Europe and succeeded Jo Cooke after she moved into the CEO position in January.
"We are delighted to welcome Dan to Frontier, who brings with him a wealth of experience on some of the industry’s largest IP," Cooke said. "His leadership in this genre will continue Frontier’s upward momentum, and his appointment to the role of CMO highlights our focus on our communities. Dan will be at the heart of our player‑first strategy, ensuring our publishing team champions player creativity and celebrates the way in which they play our games." The statement underscores Frontier’s commitment to community‑centric development and the importance of marketing that amplifies player expression.
Karen Ionescu has been named digital sales manager at Kalypso Media UK. Ionescu’s résumé includes a sales manager role at Numskull Games and earlier positions at Nintendo and Rising Star Games. Managing director Andrew Johnson praised the hire: "We’re delighted to welcome Karen to Kalypso Media UK.
She brings a wealth of commercial experience and long‑standing relationships across both retail and digital sales channels, making her a fantastic addition to the team." Hannah Barrett earned a promotion to senior account executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right. Barrett originally joined the firm in December 2025 as an account executive and has since demonstrated the client‑service acumen that warranted her elevation. Supercell announced the appointment of Anni Pyy as contract manager.
Pyy spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore, where she honed expertise in negotiating and overseeing development agreements for mobile titles. Nathan Solbrandt has been promoted to senior vice president of business development at fintech platform ZBD.
Solbrandt previously worked as a senior account executive at Motorica and served as vice president of business development for the Americas at Xsolla, giving him a solid foundation in both gaming finance and broader fintech ecosystems. Olivia Lee joins Riot Games as internal events producer. Lee previously held the associate producer title for internal events and programs, coordinating large‑scale employee gatherings and community‑focused initiatives. Ciarah Pritchard is now an account coordinator at Xsolla, after serving as account performance manager at Playback Rewards, where she focused on optimizing publisher‑partner relationships.
Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as vice president of communications. Thompson first arrived at 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 looking forward to partnering with the talented people across Bethesda and Xbox, supporting the teams behind some of the most iconic franchises in entertainment, and helping bring their creativity and vision to players around the world," Thompson said.
Maddie Richter has been appointed social media marketing manager at Nintendo of America. Before joining Nintendo, Richter managed social media for Alaska Airlines, where she crafted campaigns that blended travel storytelling with brand messaging. Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as a narrative designer.
Duffield previously held the senior narrative designer title at Series Entertainment, contributing to story‑driven mobile and PC experiences. UK publisher Yogscast Games introduced 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 joins as production coordinator, having worked as a junior producer at Atelier 11.
Pang takes on the publishing coordinator role; her background includes production, animation, and art work for Team Gramps and Queensguard, plus 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 platform’s mobile‑first AI creation tool, Build, in New Zealand.
The duo co‑founded AI interactive platform Jars AI in 2023, securing $3.5 million in funding from Google and other investors. Holm noted, "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." Sathvik Sudireddy becomes marketing manager for live services at Rockstar Games. Sudireddy previously worked as product manager on Call of Duty at Activision and began his career with an internship in business development at the same developer.
Joe Chard has been named lead product manager at Netflix Games. Chard’s prior experience includes a six‑year stint 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. His broad background in live‑service product strategy and cross‑platform publishing is expected to shape Netflix’s growing portfolio of interactive experiences. These moves collectively illustrate the fluid nature of talent within the gaming industry, where seasoned veterans and emerging leaders alike continue to reshape the creative and commercial landscape.
The cross‑pollination of expertise—from console branding to AI‑driven creation tools—signals a period of rapid innovation and strategic realignment across publishers, developers, and service providers worldwide.