Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a challenge, which is why we publish periodic round‑ups of the most noteworthy movements. If you know of a change that belongs in this list—whether it’s a new appointment, a role transition, or a notable exit—please forward the individual's name, new title, new company, as well as their previous position and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Nate Nanzer has departed 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 held several senior positions, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Monetisation. "The ambition and vision for what lies ahead at Paramount are truly exhilarating," Nanzer said. "My career has always sat at the crossroads of gaming, entertainment, and fan culture, and the chance to help shape the next chapter for Paramount was simply too compelling to ignore." He added, "I’m deeply grateful to everyone at Epic and to all the partners I’ve collaborated with over the years.
I’ll always be proud of what we achieved together and will continue to cheer the team from the sidelines." Julia Gutnik has been named Head of Media for Amazon Gaming. Prior to this appointment, Gutnik led media, social, and analytics at Kia America, and previously spent more than six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she oversaw digital and ad‑tech media initiatives. "After two years in the automotive sector, I’m thrilled to return to my entertainment roots and to the company that helped shape me into a global marketing leader," Gutnik remarked.
Lorna Antoniazzi joins Studio MDHR as an Art Producer. She previously worked as a producer at Roarty Digital, contributing to high‑profile projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite.
Aysu Kutbay has taken on the role of Product Manager at Grand Games, coming from a similar position at Rollic where she helped steer several successful mobile titles. David Bailey is back at Games Workshop, this time 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 returns to the Warhammer universe.
"It’s an honour to re‑enter the ever‑expanding Warhammer world and help drive new licensing opportunities," Bailey said. "The chance to work with such talented colleagues again is fantastic." Liana Murphy has been appointed Account Director for U.S.
Operations at Second Stage. Before this, Murphy simultaneously held the COO role and headed public relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, respectively. Tim Coombs steps into the position of Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna.
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. He also held product marketing leadership roles for Amazon Lumberyard (2017) and Amazon Game Tech (until April 2020).
Erik Mogensen exits Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming. Prior to that, Mogensen spent 23 years at Games Workshop, most recently as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing. "Working on brands I’ve loved all my life—Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Transformers—has been a dream," he reflected.
"I’m excited for whatever comes next." Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as a Senior Producer. Rubin’s previous experience includes senior production work at Netflix on mobile titles such as Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset, as well as a five‑year stint at Riot Games where he contributed to creative development for the League of Legends franchise.
Andrey Odintsov has been named Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games. He formerly worked as User Acquisition Manager at Multicast Games and currently operates as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for the gaming sector.
Dan Lazarides takes 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, who moved on to become Frontier’s CEO earlier this year.
"Dan brings a wealth of experience from some of the industry’s biggest IPs," Cooke said. "His leadership will reinforce our player‑first strategy and help our publishing teams champion community‑driven creativity." Karen Ionescu becomes Digital Sales Manager for Kalypso Media UK. Ionescu’s background includes sales leadership at Numskull Games, as well as roles at Nintendo and Rising Star Games.
Managing Director Andrew Johnson commented, "Karen’s extensive commercial expertise and strong relationships across retail and digital channels make her a perfect fit for Kalypso." 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 held the same position at Metacore for four years. Nathan Solbrandt steps into the role of Senior Vice President of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD, after serving as Senior Account Executive at Motorica and Vice President of Business Development for the Americas at Xsolla. Olivia Lee becomes Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, moving up from an associate producer role focused on internal events and programs.
Ciarah Pritchard joins Xsolla as Account Coordinator, after working as an 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, before leaving in 2019 for a head‑of‑product role at Electronic Arts. She said, "I look forward to collaborating with the talented teams at Bethesda and Xbox, supporting the creators behind some of the most iconic franchises and helping bring their visions to players worldwide." Maddie Richter has been hired as Social Media Marketing Manager for Nintendo of America, after previously managing social media for Alaska Airlines.
Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as a Narrative Designer, coming from a senior narrative design position at Series Entertainment. Yogscast Games, a UK publisher, announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR and Influencer Manager, formerly Creator and Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, previously a Junior Producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator, who has experience as a producer, animator, and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, and has taught 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. Holm noted, "At Jars AI we saw thousands of creators using AI to craft novel worlds and stories, and we’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of AI entertainment in our new roles." Sathvik Sudireddy joins Rockstar Games as Marketing Manager for Live Services. He previously served as Product Manager on Call of Duty at Activision and began his career with an internship in business development at Rockstar.
Joe Chard has been appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games. Chard’s background 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 reflect the dynamic nature of the gaming industry, where talent moves frequently to drive innovation, expand franchises, and explore new market opportunities.