Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel changes across studios, publishers, and related tech firms. If you know of a move 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 the development of strategic alliances and revenue‑generation initiatives for 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 added, "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 brings a wealth of experience from the automotive and entertainment sectors, having most recently served as Head of Media, Social & Analytics for Kia America. Prior to that, she spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she led digital and ad‑tech media initiatives. "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 explained.
Her appointment signals Amazon Gaming's intent to deepen its media strategy and expand audience engagement across streaming and interactive formats. Lorna Antoniazzi joins Studio MDHR as Art Producer.
Antoniazzi previously worked at Roarty Digital, contributing to high‑profile collaborations such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite. Her background in large‑scale production pipelines and community‑focused art direction is expected to enhance MDHR's upcoming projects, which continue to blend distinctive visual styles with innovative gameplay. Aysu Kutbay has taken on the role of Product Manager at Grand Games. Before this move, Kutbay served as Product Manager at Rollic, where she helped launch several successful mobile titles and refined user‑acquisition strategies.
At Grand Games, she will oversee the lifecycle of new releases, focusing on market fit, monetisation, and cross‑platform integration. 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 steer licensing for the expansive Warhammer universe. "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 most recently held a dual role as COO and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, where she managed agency‑level client relationships and oversaw large‑scale PR campaigns for interactive entertainment brands.
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 division in 2020 as Senior Manager for Brand Strategy. His earlier experience includes a stint as Product Marketing Manager for Amazon Lumberyard in 2017 and senior product marketing leadership for Amazon Game Tech until April 2020. At Luna, he will shape the service's brand narrative, positioning it against competing cloud‑gaming platforms.
Erik Mogensen departs Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming. Prior to his tenure at Hasbro, 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 led senior production at Netflix, where he oversaw two shipped 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.
At Blizzard, Rubin will focus on live‑service titles, bringing his cross‑media expertise to the company's expanding portfolio. Andrey Odintsov is appointed Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games.
Odintsov's background includes a user‑acquisition manager role at Multicast Games and current work as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various game studios. His mandate at Battlestate will involve scaling the reach of titles such as Escape from Tarkov through data‑driven campaigns. Dan Lazarides becomes Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments.
Lazarides previously held the senior vice‑president of marketing role at Sega Europe and succeeded Jo Cooke after she moved to the CEO position 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 hired as Digital Sales Manager at Kalypso Media UK. Ionescu's résumé includes sales leadership positions at Numskull Games, 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." Hannah Barrett receives a promotion to Senior Account Executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right, after joining as an Account Executive in December 2025.
Her advancement reflects strong performance in client strategy and campaign execution for gaming brands. Supercell appoints Anni Pyy as Contract Manager.
Pyy previously spent four years in a similar capacity at Metacore, where she managed licensing agreements and third‑party collaborations for mobile titles. Nathan Solbrandt steps into the role of SVP of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD. Solbrandt's prior experience includes senior account executive work at Motorica and a vice‑president position overseeing business development for the Americas at Xsolla. Olivia Lee becomes Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, moving up from an associate producer role where she coordinated internal programs and community‑building activities for staff.
Ciarah Pritchard is named Account Coordinator at Xsolla, after serving as Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards, where she optimized client KPIs and revenue streams. 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 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 takes on the role of Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, transitioning from a social media manager position at Alaska Airlines where she oversaw multi‑channel campaigns and community engagement. Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer, after serving as Senior Narrative Designer at Series Entertainment, where she crafted storylines for indie and mid‑tier titles. Yogscast Games announces 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 been added to 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.
Holm remarked, "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 worked as a Product Manager on Call of Duty at Activision and completed an internship in business development at Rockstar. Joe Chard is appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games. Chard brings extensive leadership experience, having served as Vice President, Studio General Manager, and Head of Product at Jam City for six years, as well as senior product roles at The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros.
Entertainment. These appointments, departures, and promotions illustrate the dynamic nature of talent movement within the gaming ecosystem, highlighting how expertise in marketing, product management, licensing, and creative development continues to shape the industry's evolution.