Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the gaming sector can be a daunting task. To make it easier for readers and industry insiders, we regularly compile these personnel changes into concise round‑ups. If you know of a recent appointment or a notable transition that belongs in this list, please forward the individual's name, new title, new employer, as well as their previous role and company to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Nate Nanzer has announced his departure from Epic Games after a seven‑year tenure to take on the role of Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games.
During his time at Epic, Nanzer held several senior positions, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Monetisation, where he oversaw the development of strategic alliances and revenue‑generating initiatives for the company's flagship titles. "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, noting, "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." Julia Gutnik has been named Head of Media at Amazon Gaming. Gutnik brings a robust background in media strategy, having previously served as Head of Media, Social & Analytics for Kia America, where she directed integrated campaigns that blended automotive branding with digital engagement. Prior to her stint in the automotive sector, she spent over six years at Amazon's own Prime Video and Amazon Studios, culminating in the role of Head of Digital and AdTech Media.
"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. Her move signals Amazon Gaming's intent to deepen its media footprint and leverage cross‑platform synergies across Amazon's vast ecosystem.
Lorna Antoniazzi joins Studio MDHR as an Art Producer. Antoniazzi previously worked at Roarty Digital, contributing to high‑profile projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite, where she coordinated art pipelines and ensured visual consistency across large‑scale live‑service environments.
Her expertise in managing art teams and her experience with both original IP and licensed properties will support Studio MDHR's upcoming titles, which aim to blend distinctive art direction with innovative gameplay. Aysu Kutbay has been appointed Product Manager at Grand Games. Kutbay comes from Rollic, where she led product strategy for several successful mobile titles, focusing on user acquisition, retention, and monetisation. At Grand Games, she will oversee the lifecycle of new releases, applying data‑driven insights to optimise player experiences and revenue streams.
David Bailey returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined Games Workshop in 2019 as Senior Licensing Manager, left in 2021 to become Director of Business Affairs at Sumo Digital, and now re‑joins his former employer.
"It's a privilege to return to the vast and evergreen Warhammer universes to help spearhead new business for licensing here," Bailey said. "It's an incredible opportunity and it's great to be back in the fold working alongside great people." His deep familiarity with the Warhammer brand and extensive licensing network positions him to expand the company's partnership portfolio.
Liana Murphy has taken the role of Account Director for US Operations at Second Stage. Murphy previously held dual responsibilities as COO and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, where she managed client relationships, oversaw operational logistics, and crafted public‑facing narratives for a range of gaming and entertainment clients. Tim Coombs steps into the position of Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna. Coombs spent the previous six years at Xbox, most recently as Director of Brand Management, after joining the platform in 2020 as Senior Manager for Brand Strategy.
Earlier in his career, he served as Product Marketing Manager for Amazon Lumberyard in 2017 and later as Senior Product Marketing Manager and Team Lead for Amazon Game Tech until April 2020. His extensive experience with console branding and cloud‑based game development tools will be instrumental in shaping Luna's market positioning. Erik Mogensen has exited Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming. Prior to that, he dedicated 23 years to Games Workshop, culminating 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. "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." Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer. Rubin previously held a senior producer role at Netflix, where he helped ship two mobile titles—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. His cross‑platform experience in both streaming and competitive gaming will add depth to Blizzard's expanding portfolio of live‑service and mobile projects.
Andrey Odintsov has been named 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 studios.
His data‑centric approach to acquisition and retention is expected to accelerate Battlestate's global reach. Dan Lazarides takes on the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments. Lazarides previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe and succeeded Jo Cooke after she moved into the CEO role at Frontier 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," said Cooke.
"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." Karen Ionescu has been appointed Digital Sales Manager at Kalypso Media UK. Ionescu previously worked as Sales Manager at Numskull Games and has held positions at Nintendo and Rising Star Games, giving her a broad perspective on both retail and digital distribution channels. 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." Hannah Barrett has been promoted to Senior Account Executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right, after joining as an Account Executive in December 2025. Supercell appoints Anni Pyy as Contract Manager.
Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore, where she negotiated licensing agreements and managed third‑party relationships. Nathan Solbrandt becomes SVP of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD. Solbrandt's background includes senior account work at Motorica and a Vice President role in Business Development for the Americas at Xsolla.
Olivia Lee has been hired as Internal Events Producer at Riot Games. Lee previously served as Associate Producer for internal events and programs, coordinating large‑scale employee engagement initiatives.
Ciarah Pritchard joins Xsolla as Account Coordinator after working as Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards. Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as Vice President of Communications.
Thompson originally 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 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 named Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, coming from a role as Social Media Manager at Alaska Airlines where she oversaw cross‑channel campaigns and community engagement. Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as a Narrative Designer after serving as Senior Narrative Designer at Series Entertainment, contributing to story development and world‑building for multiple titles. Yogscast Games, a UK publisher, announced three new hires: Charlotte Willis as PR and Influencer Manager (formerly Creator and Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney as Production Coordinator (previously Junior Producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang as Publishing Coordinator (with a background as producer, animator, and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, and teaching experience at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone). Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger have joined Roblox's Foundation AI team to support the platform's 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 becomes Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games. Sudireddy previously worked as a Product Manager on Call of Duty at Activision and completed an internship in business development at Rockstar.
Joe Chard has been appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games. Chard's prior experience includes six years 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 illustrate the dynamic nature of talent movement within the gaming ecosystem, highlighting how experience across different sectors—automotive, streaming, traditional publishing, and emerging AI technologies—continues to shape the industry's future.