Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. To help readers stay informed, we regularly assemble concise round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel changes across studios, publishers, and related entertainment firms. If you know of a recent appointment or transition that belongs 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. Nate Nanzer has announced his departure 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 held several senior positions, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Monetisation, where he oversaw strategic alliances and revenue‑generation 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 a 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." Julia Gutnik has been appointed Head of Media at Amazon Gaming.
Gutnik previously led media, social, and analytics at Kia America, where she managed brand‑centric campaigns for the automotive giant. Before that, she spent more than six years within Amazon’s broader entertainment ecosystem, holding senior roles at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, most notably as 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 continued investment in media strategy and audience engagement as the platform expands its cloud‑gaming offerings.
Lorna Antoniazzi joins Studio MDHR as Art Producer. Antoniazzi comes from Roarty Digital, where she contributed to high‑profile projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite, honing her skills in art pipeline management and cross‑functional collaboration.
At MDHR, she will oversee visual development for upcoming titles, ensuring that the studio’s distinctive artistic style remains consistent across all assets. Aysu Kutbay has taken on the role of Product Manager at Grand Games. Previously, Kutbay served as a product manager at Rollic, where she helped launch and iterate on several successful mobile titles, focusing on user acquisition, monetisation, and live‑ops.
Her experience in the mobile space is expected to bolster Grand Games' portfolio of casual and mid‑core experiences. David Bailey returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined the company in 2019 as Senior Licensing Manager, left in 2021 to become Director of Business Affairs at Sumo Digital, and now comes back to help steer the licensing arm of the iconic Warhammer franchises. "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." Liana Murphy has been named Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage. Murphy previously balanced dual responsibilities as COO and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, gaining extensive experience in agency management, client relations, and strategic communications. In her new capacity, she will oversee North American accounts, guiding client strategy and fostering growth across Second Stage’s service offerings. 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, having joined Microsoft in 2020 as Senior Manager for Brand Strategy. Earlier in his career, he worked on Amazon Lumberyard as Product Marketing Manager in 2017 and later led the Amazon Game Tech team until April 2020. His deep background in brand positioning and gaming technology makes him a strong fit to elevate Luna’s market presence. Erik Mogensen departs 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, culminating in the role of 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," he 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. He also spent five years at Riot Games, contributing to creative development across the League of Legends intellectual property.
At Blizzard, Rubin will focus on live‑service titles, coordinating cross‑disciplinary teams to deliver new content and player experiences. Andrey Odintsov has been appointed Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games. Odintsov previously worked as User Acquisition Manager at Multicast Games and currently operates as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various gaming projects. His expertise in performance marketing and user‑centric acquisition strategies is expected to drive Battlestate’s upcoming releases.
Dan Lazarides becomes Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments. Lazarides formerly served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe and succeeded Jo Cooke after her promotion to CEO 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. Lazarides will spearhead Frontier’s player‑first strategy, ensuring that community feedback shapes future titles and that the studio’s publishing arm champions creative freedom.
Karen Ionescu takes the role of Digital Sales Manager at Kalypso Media UK. Ionescu’s background includes sales leadership positions at Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games.
Managing Director Andrew Johnson praised her appointment: "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. Barrett originally joined the firm as an Account Executive in December 2025 and has quickly risen through the ranks thanks to her client‑service acumen and industry insight. Supercell appoints Anni Pyy as Contract Manager.
Pyy previously spent four years in a similar capacity at Metacore, where she oversaw licensing agreements and partnership contracts for mobile titles. Nathan Solbrandt becomes Senior Vice President of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD.
Solbrandt’s prior experience includes senior account executive work at Motorica and a Vice President role in Business Development for the Americas at Xsolla. Olivia Lee is now Internal Events Producer at Riot Games. Lee previously served as Associate Producer for internal events and programs, coordinating large‑scale employee gatherings and community‑focused initiatives.
Ciarah Pritchard joins Xsolla as Account Coordinator, after serving as Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards, where she managed client reporting and optimisation strategies. Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as Vice President of Communications.
Thompson first joined Bethesda in 2009 as Director of Publications, later becoming Associate VP of Communications before leaving for Electronic Arts in 2019 to head 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," she said.
Maddie Richter has been named Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America. Richter previously worked as Social Media Manager for Alaska Airlines, where she led campaigns that boosted follower engagement and brand awareness. Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer.
Duffield comes from Series Entertainment, where she served as Senior Narrative Designer, crafting storylines and character arcs for indie titles. Yogscast Games announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR and Influencer Manager), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator), and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator). Willis previously worked at Diva Agency as Creator and Community Director.
Mawhinney was a Junior Producer at Atelier 11, while Pang 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 joined Roblox’s Foundation AI team to support the 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. "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 Product Manager on Call of Duty at Activision after an internship in business development at Rockstar. Joe Chard is appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games.
Chard’s background includes 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, returns, and departures illustrate the dynamic nature of talent movement within the gaming ecosystem, highlighting how experience from across entertainment, tech, and even automotive sectors continues to shape the industry's future.