Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and role changes across the games sector can be a daunting task, which is why we gather the most notable movements in periodic round‑ups. If you know of any recent appointments or transitions that deserve a mention, please forward the individual's name, new title, new employer, as well as their previous position and company to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Nate Nanzer has announced his exit from Epic Games after a seven‑year tenure to assume the role of Executive Vice President, head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. During his time at Epic, Nanzer rose through the ranks, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Monetisation, where he oversaw global partnership strategies and revenue‑generation initiatives.
"The scale of the ambition and vision here for what's next is incredibly exciting," Nanzer said in his statement. "I've spent my career at the intersection of games, entertainment, and fandom, and the opportunity to help build what comes next at Paramount was simply too compelling to pass up." He also expressed gratitude toward his former colleagues: "I'm deeply grateful to everyone at Epic and to all of the partners I've had the opportunity to work with along the way. I'll always be proud of what we accomplished together and will be cheering the team on from the sidelines." In a parallel move, Julia Gutnik has been named Head of Media at Amazon Gaming. Gutnik previously led media, social, and analytics for Kia America, and before that she spent more than six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she headed digital and ad‑tech media operations.
"After two years navigating the auto industry, I am returning to my entertainment roots, and to the place that shaped me into a global marketing leader," Gutnik remarked, highlighting her excitement about re‑entering the gaming ecosystem. Studio MDHR welcomes Lorna Antoniazzi as its new Art Producer.
Antoniazzi comes from Roarty Digital, where she contributed to high‑profile projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite, gaining experience in large‑scale art pipelines and cross‑functional collaboration. Grand Games has appointed Aysu Kutbay as Product Manager. Kutbay previously held a similar position at Rollic, where she managed mobile game portfolios and drove product‑roadmap decisions that increased user engagement and monetisation.
David Bailey is back at Games Workshop, this time as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined the company in 2019 as Senior Licensing Manager, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now returns to the Warhammer universe. "It's a privilege to return to the vast and evergreen Warhammer universes to help spearhead new business for licensing here," he said. "It's an incredible opportunity and it's great to be back in the fold working alongside great people." Liana Murphy steps into the role of Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage.
Prior to this, Murphy simultaneously held the COO and Head of Public Relations positions at Vicariously and V Publishing, giving her a strong background in both operational leadership and communications strategy. Amazon Luna has named Tim Coombs as Head of Brand Marketing. Coombs previously served as Director of Brand Management at Xbox until July 2026, after joining the console maker in 2020 as Senior Manager for Brand Strategy.
His earlier experience includes a stint as Product Marketing Manager for Amazon Lumberyard in 2017 and a senior role with Amazon Game Tech until April 2020, where he oversaw go‑to‑market plans for developer tools. Erik Mogensen has departed Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming. Before that, he spent 23 years at Games Workshop, most recently as 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, naming Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and Transformers among the properties he helped grow. He hinted that his next chapter is still unwritten. Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as a Senior Producer. Rubin's recent experience includes senior production work at Netflix, where he helped ship two 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. Andrey Odintsov has taken the helm of Marketing at Battlestate Games.
Odintsov previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and currently operates as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various gaming projects. Frontier Developments announces Dan Lazarides as its new Chief Marketing Officer.
Lazarides arrives from Sega Europe, where he was Senior Vice President of Marketing, and replaces Jo Cooke, who moved into the CEO role in January. Frontier CEO Jo Cooke praised his appointment: "We are delighted to welcome Dan to Frontier, who brings with him a wealth of experience on some of the industry's largest IP. 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." Kalypso Media UK appoints Karen Ionescu as Digital Sales Manager. Ionescu's résumé includes sales leadership at Numskull Games, as well as roles at Nintendo and Rising Star Games. Managing Director Andrew Johnson commented, "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." Swipe Right, a specialist esports and gaming communications agency, promotes Hannah Barrett to Senior Account Executive after she joined as an Account Executive in December 2025.
Supercell brings on Anni Pyy as Contract Manager. Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore, handling licensing agreements and partnership contracts for mobile titles. Fintech platform ZBD names Nathan Solbrandt as Senior Vice President of Business Development.
Solbrandt's background includes senior account work at Motorica and a Vice President role for business development at Xsolla covering the Americas. Riot Games adds Olivia Lee as Internal Events Producer. Lee previously served as Associate Producer for internal events and programs, coordinating large‑scale employee gatherings and community initiatives. Xsolla welcomes Ciarah Pritchard as Account Coordinator.
Pritchard formerly worked as an Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards, focusing on client reporting and optimisation. Bethesda re‑engages Tracey Thompson as Vice President of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009 as Director of Publications, later becoming Associate VP of Communications before leaving for Electronic Arts in 2019. She returns now to oversee messaging for some of the studio's most iconic franchises.
Nintendo of America appoints Maddie Richter as Social Media Marketing Manager. Richter transitions from a role as Social Media Manager at Alaska Airlines, bringing experience in audience engagement and content strategy. Yotta Games adds narrative talent Dana Duffield as Narrative Designer. Duffield previously held a senior narrative position at Series Entertainment, where she crafted storylines for multiple mobile and console projects.
The Yogscast Games team expands with three new hires: Charlotte Willis as PR and Influencer Manager (formerly Creator and Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney as Production Coordinator (formerly Junior Producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang as Publishing Coordinator (with a background in production, animation, and teaching game design at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone). Roblox's Foundation AI team welcomes Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger to support the platform's mobile‑first AI creation tool, Build, in New Zealand. The duo co‑founded Jars AI in 2023, raising $3.5 million from Google and other investors. Holm said, "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 managed product responsibilities on Call of Duty at Activision and completed a business‑development internship at Rockstar. Finally, Joe Chard steps into the role of Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games. Chard's extensive background includes a six‑year tenure as Vice President, Studio General Manager, and Head of Product at Jam City, as well as senior product positions at The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros.
Entertainment. These movements reflect the dynamic nature of the gaming industry, where talent continually shifts to new challenges, bringing fresh perspectives to beloved franchises and emerging platforms alike.