Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the games sector can be a challenge, which is why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel changes. If you know of a transition that belongs in this list—whether it’s a new appointment, a move to a different studio, or a notable exit—please forward the name, new title, new organization, and previous role 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 company’s global partnership strategy and revenue‑generation initiatives.
"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: "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." In another high‑profile move, Julia Gutnik has been appointed Head of Media at Amazon Gaming.
Gutnik brings a wealth of experience from both the automotive and entertainment sectors. Prior to joining Amazon, she led media, social, and analytics for Kia America, and previously spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she headed digital and ad‑tech media operations. "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, underscoring her enthusiasm for re‑engaging with interactive media. Studio MDHR welcomes Lorna Antoniazzi as its new Art Producer.
Antoniazzi previously worked as a producer at Roarty Digital, contributing to high‑profile projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and the Lego Fortnite collaboration, giving her a strong background in large‑scale live‑service titles and brand partnerships. Grand Games has added Aysu Kutbay as Product Manager.
Kutbay moves from Rollic, where she managed product pipelines for several successful mobile games, and will now oversee Grand Games' upcoming releases and live‑ops strategies. David Bailey returns to Games Workshop, taking on the position of Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined Games Workshop 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," he said.
"It's an incredible opportunity and it's great to be back in the fold working alongside great people." Liana Murphy steps into the role of Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage. Murphy previously balanced dual responsibilities as COO and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, giving her a solid foundation in both operational leadership and strategic communications. Amazon Luna has named Tim Coombs as Head of Brand Marketing. Coombs joins from Xbox, where he served as Director of Brand Management until July 2026 after a progression from Senior Manager for Brand Strategy in 2020.
Earlier in his career, he helped launch Amazon Lumberyard as Product Marketing Manager in 2017 and later led the Amazon Game Tech team until 2020. Erik Mogensen departs Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming. Mogensen's résumé includes a 23‑year stint at Games Workshop, culminating as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing. Reflecting on his career, he noted, "It's not lost on me how special it's been to have worked on, and for, my favourite brands.
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 welcomes Ryan Rubin as Senior Producer.
Rubin previously produced two mobile titles for Netflix—Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset—and spent five years at Riot Games developing creative content for the League of Legends franchise. Battlestate Games appoints Andrey Odintsov as Head of Marketing. Odintsov has a background in user acquisition from Multicast Games and currently works as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various gaming projects.
Frontier Developments announces Dan Lazarides as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Lazarides arrives from Sega Europe, where he was Senior Vice President of Marketing, and succeeds Jo Cooke, who moved into the CEO role earlier this year.
Frontier CEO Jo Cooke praised the appointment, stating that Lazarides' experience with large IPs will bolster the studio's player‑first strategy and community focus. Kalypso Media UK names Karen Ionescu Digital Sales Manager. Ionescu brings experience from Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games, and Managing Director Andrew Johnson highlighted her strong retail and digital relationships as a key asset. Swipe Right, an esports and gaming communications agency, promotes Hannah Barrett to Senior Account Executive after she joined as an Account Executive in December 2025.
Supercell adds Anni Pyy as Contract Manager. Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore, overseeing legal and partnership agreements for mobile titles. Fintech platform ZBD appoints Nathan Solbrandt as SVP of Business Development.
Solbrandt's background includes senior account work at Motorica and a Vice President role at Xsolla for the Americas. Riot Games expands its internal events team with Olivia Lee as Internal Events Producer, building on her prior role as Associate Producer for internal programs. Xsolla welcomes Ciarah Pritchard as Account Coordinator, after she served as Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards. Bethesda reinstates Tracey Thompson as Vice President of Communications.
Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009, rose to Associate VP of Communications, left for EA in 2019, and now returns to help shape messaging for flagship franchises across Bethesda and Xbox. Nintendo of America appoints Maddie Richter as Social Media Marketing Manager. Richter transitions from a social media role at Alaska Airlines, bringing fresh consumer‑focused perspective to Nintendo's community channels. Yotta Games adds narrative talent Dana Duffield as Narrative Designer.
Duffield previously worked as Senior Narrative Designer at Series Entertainment, contributing to story development for multiple indie projects. 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 (formerly 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 welcomes Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger 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, and aim to push the boundaries of AI‑driven entertainment.
Rockstar Games hires 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 appoints Joe Chard as Lead Product Manager. Chard brings a wealth of experience from a six‑year tenure as Vice President, Studio General Manager, and Head of Product at Jam City, as well as senior roles at Disney and Warner Bros.
These appointments, promotions, and departures illustrate the dynamic nature of talent movement within the interactive entertainment industry, reflecting both the ongoing growth of established studios and the emergence of new opportunities across publishing, development, and ancillary services.