Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, exits, and role changes across the gaming sector can be a daunting task. To make it easier for industry professionals and observers, we gather the most notable movements in a periodic roundup. If you know of a colleague who has taken on a new position or a company that has made a significant appointment, feel free to forward the details—name, new title, new organization, as well as the previous role and employer—to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
One of the headline moves this month is the departure of Nate Nanzer from Epic Games after a seven‑year tenure. Nanzer will step into the role of Executive Vice President, heading Commercial and Marketing at Paramount Games. At Epic, he rose through the ranks to become Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Monetisation, overseeing key revenue‑generating initiatives. "The scale of the ambition and vision here for what's next is incredibly exciting," Nanzer said.
"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." Amazon Gaming has bolstered its media leadership by appointing Julia Gutnik as Head of Media. Gutnik previously directed media, social, and analytics for Kia America, and before that she spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she led digital and ad‑tech media efforts. "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," she remarked.
Studio MDHR welcomed Lorna Antoniazzi as an Art Producer. Antoniazzi comes from Roarty Digital, where she contributed to high‑profile projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and the Lego‑themed Fortnite experience.
Her background in large‑scale live‑service titles is expected to enhance MDHR's visual pipelines. Grand Games announced the addition of Aysu Kutbay as Product Manager. Kutbay previously held the same title at Rollic, where she helped launch several successful mobile games and refined product‑growth strategies.
In a notable return, David Bailey has rejoined Games Workshop 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 comes back to help steer licensing for the expansive Warhammer universes.
"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." Second Stage named Liana Murphy as Account Director for its U.S. operations.
Murphy most recently served as both COO and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, bringing a blend of operational oversight and communications expertise to her new role. Amazon Luna promoted Tim Coombs to Head of Brand Marketing. Coombs previously directed brand management at Xbox until July 2026, having joined the console maker in 2020 as Senior Manager for Brand Strategy. Earlier in his career he worked on Amazon Lumberyard as Product Marketing Manager in 2017, then moved to Amazon Game Tech where he led senior product marketing initiatives until April 2020.
Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast said farewell to Erik Mogensen, who departed after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming. Mogensen's career spans 23 years at Games Workshop, most recently as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing. Reflecting on his time with beloved franchises, he said, "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." Blizzard Entertainment added Ryan Rubin to its senior production team. Rubin previously served as Senior Producer at Netflix, overseeing mobile adaptations of popular series such as Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset. He also spent five years at Riot Games, contributing to creative development across the League of Legends property.
Battlestate Games appointed Andrey Odintsov as Head of Marketing. Odintsov's most recent role was User Acquisition Manager at Multicast Games, and he currently works as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various gaming projects. Frontier Developments announced 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 seat in January. Frontier CEO Jo Cooke praised the hire, stating, "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 brought on Karen Ionescu as Digital Sales Manager.
Ionescu's background includes sales leadership at Numskull Games, as well as roles at Nintendo and Rising Star Games. Managing Director Andrew Johnson said, "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, promoted Hannah Barrett to Senior Account Executive. Barrett joined the firm as an Account Executive in December 2025 and has quickly demonstrated the strategic acumen needed for senior client responsibilities.
Supercell named Anni Pyy as Contract Manager. Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore, overseeing licensing agreements and partnership contracts.
Fintech platform ZBD appointed Nathan Solbrandt as Senior Vice President of Business Development. Solbrandt's prior experience includes senior account work at Motorica and a Vice President role in business development for the Americas at Xsolla.
Riot Games added Olivia Lee as Internal Events Producer. Lee previously served as Associate Producer for internal events and programs, coordinating large‑scale employee experiences. Xsolla welcomed Ciarah Pritchard as Account Coordinator. Pritchard formerly worked as an Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards, focusing on revenue optimisation for gaming publishers.
Bethesda announced the return of 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 EA in 2019. She 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." Nintendo of America hired Maddie Richter as Social Media Marketing Manager. Richter's most recent role was Social Media Manager at Alaska Airlines, where she managed brand voice across multiple platforms.
Yotta Games expanded its narrative team with Dana Duffield, who joins as Narrative Designer after serving as Senior Narrative Designer at Series Entertainment. UK publisher Yogscast Games introduced 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 in production, animation, and teaching game design at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone). Roblox's Foundation AI team grew with the addition of Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger, who will help advance 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 commented, "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." Rockstar Games appointed Sathvik Sudireddy as Marketing Manager for Live Services. Sudireddy previously managed product responsibilities on Call of Duty at Activision after an internship in business development at Rockstar. Netflix Games named Joe Chard as Lead Product Manager. Chard brings extensive experience from 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. These appointments and moves illustrate the dynamic nature of talent flow within the interactive entertainment industry, highlighting how seasoned professionals continue to shape the future of games, media, and related technologies.