Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the gaming sector can be a daunting task, which is why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel moves. If you know of any recent appointments or transitions that belong in this list, please forward the individual's name, new title, new company, as well as their previous role and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Tim Coombs has been named head of brand marketing for Amazon Luna. Coombs spent the previous several years at Microsoft’s Xbox division, where he served as director of brand management until July 2026 after joining the console maker in 2020 as senior manager for brand strategy.
Prior to his Xbox tenure, he helped launch Amazon Lumberyard in 2017 as product marketing manager, then moved on to become senior product marketing manager and team lead for Amazon Game Tech, a role he held until April 2020. His deep experience in both console branding and cloud‑based game development positions him well to steer Luna’s brand narrative as the service seeks to expand its subscriber base and compete more aggressively in the cloud‑gaming arena.
Erik Mogensen has exited Hasbro and its subsidiary Wizards of the Coast after a three‑year stint as senior director of business development for digital gaming. Before joining Hasbro, Mogensen devoted 23 years to Games Workshop, culminating in the role of head of business development and consumer product licensing.
In his own words, "It’s not lost on me how special it’s been to have worked on, and for, my favourite brands. 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 digital experiences, a trend that continues to shape the industry. Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as a senior producer.
Rubin previously held a senior producer role at Netflix, where he oversaw two shipped mobile titles—Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset. Earlier in his career, he spent five years at Riot Games, contributing to creative development across the League of Legends franchise.
His background in both high‑profile licensed mobile games and live‑service titles suggests Blizzard is bolstering its production leadership as it expands its portfolio beyond traditional PC/console offerings. Andrey Odintsov has been appointed head of marketing at Battlestate Games. Odintsov’s most recent position was user acquisition manager at Multicast Games, and he currently works as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various game projects.
His expertise in data‑driven user acquisition strategies is likely to aid Battlestate as it seeks to broaden the reach of its tactical shooters and survival titles. Dan Lazarides steps into the role of chief marketing officer at Frontier Developments. Lazarides previously served as senior vice president of marketing for Sega Europe and succeeds Jo Cooke, who moved into the CEO seat at Frontier in January.
Cooke praised the appointment, stating, "We are delighted to welcome Dan to Frontier, who brings a wealth of experience on some of the industry's largest IPs. 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 comment underscores Frontier’s intention to deepen its engagement with fan bases for titles such as Elite Dangerous and Planet Coaster. Karen Ionescu has taken the position of digital sales manager at Kalypso Media UK.
Ionescu’s prior experience includes a sales manager role at Numskull Games as well as stints at Nintendo and Rising Star Games, giving her a broad perspective on both retail and digital distribution channels. Managing director Andrew Johnson remarked, "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‑relationship skills that warranted her elevation. Supercell named Anni Pyy as contract manager. Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore, where she oversaw licensing agreements and partnership contracts for mobile titles. Nathan Solbrandt has been appointed senior vice president of business development at fintech platform ZBD.
Solbrandt’s background includes senior account executive work at Motorica and a vice‑presidential role in business development for the Americas at Xsolla, indicating a strong blend of financial services and gaming distribution expertise. Olivia Lee becomes internal events producer at Riot Games, building on her prior experience as associate producer for internal events and programs, where she coordinated employee engagement initiatives and studio‑wide celebrations. Ciarah Pritchard joins Xsolla as an account coordinator after serving as account performance manager at Playback Rewards, where she focused on optimizing partner revenue streams. Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as vice president of communications.
Thompson’s history with the studio dates back to 2009 when she arrived 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. Upon her return, Thompson said, "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." Maddie Richter has been hired as social media marketing manager at Nintendo of America.
Richter previously managed social media for Alaska Airlines, bringing corporate communications experience to the gaming giant. Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as a narrative designer after serving as senior narrative designer at Series Entertainment, where she crafted storylines for indie titles. Yogscast Games, a UK publisher, announced three new hires: Charlotte Willis, Robin Mawhinney, and Charlotte Pang.
Willis becomes PR and influencer manager, previously creator and community director at Diva Agency. Mawhinney joins as production coordinator after a junior producer role at Atelier 11, while Pang takes on the publishing coordinator position, bringing experience as a 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 platform’s mobile‑first AI creation tool, Build, in New Zealand.
The duo co‑founded Jars AI in 2023, an interactive AI platform that secured $3.5 million in funding from Google and other investors. Holm explained, "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 joins Rockstar Games as marketing manager for live services. Sudireddy previously worked as a product manager on Call of Duty at Activision and started his career with an internship in business development at the same developer, giving him a solid foundation in both product and community marketing.
Joe Chard has been named 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, underscoring a deep background in mobile and console game production. These appointments, promotions, and departures illustrate the fluid nature of talent movement within the gaming ecosystem, where experience in brand strategy, user acquisition, narrative design, and AI development continues to shape the next generation of interactive entertainment.