The games sector moves at a breakneck pace, and keeping tabs on who’s joining, leaving, or shifting roles can feel like a full‑time job. That’s why we gather the most noteworthy personnel changes into periodic round‑ups, giving readers a single source for the latest talent flows across studios, publishers, and service providers.
If you know of a significant appointment or transition that belongs in this list, please forward the details—name, new title, new company, plus the previous role and employer—to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. One of the headline moves this month sees Nate Nanzer departing Epic Games after a seven‑year tenure to assume the position of Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games.
At Epic, Nanzer climbed the corporate ladder, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Monetisation, where he oversaw the integration of third‑party collaborations and revenue‑generation strategies for flagship titles. "The scale of the ambition and vision here for what's next is incredibly exciting," Nanzer said in his announcement.
"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 a note of gratitude toward his former colleagues, stating, "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 also announced a new media chief: Julia Gutnik.
Gutnik steps into the role of Head of Media after a two‑year stint in the automotive world, where she led media, social, and analytics for Kia America. Prior to that, she spent more than six years within Amazon’s own ecosystem, holding senior positions 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 explained, underscoring her enthusiasm for steering Amazon Gaming’s media strategy in an increasingly competitive market. Studio MDHR welcomed Lorna Antoniazzi as an Art Producer.
Antoniazzi brings experience from Roarty Digital, where she contributed to high‑profile collaborations such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite. Her artistic oversight will support MDHR’s distinctive visual style, which has become a hallmark of titles like "Cuphead." Grand Games named Aysu Kutbay as Product Manager.
Kutbay previously managed product pipelines at Rollic, a mobile‑focused publisher, and will now apply that expertise to Grand Games' upcoming releases, ensuring that design, monetisation, and player‑feedback loops align. In a notable return, David Bailey rejoined Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally entered Games Workshop in 2019 as Senior Licensing Manager, left in 2021 to become Director of Business Affairs at Sumo Digital, and now comes back to the Warhammer universe. "It's a privilege to return to the vast and evergreen Warhammer universes to help spearhead new business for licensing here," he remarked.
"It's an incredible opportunity and it's great to be back in the fold working alongside great people." Second Stage appointed Liana Murphy as Account Director for US Operations. Murphy’s recent dual role as COO and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing equips her with a blend of operational and communications expertise that should accelerate Second Stage’s growth in the North American market. Amazon Luna announced Tim Coombs as Head of Brand Marketing. Coombs arrives from Xbox, where he served as Director of Brand Management until July 2026 after joining the division in 2020 as Senior Manager for Brand Strategy.
Earlier in his Amazon career, he led product marketing for Amazon Lumberyard in 2017 and later headed Amazon Game Tech’s senior product marketing team until April 2020, giving him a deep understanding of both cloud‑based development tools and consumer‑facing services. Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast said farewell to Erik Mogensen, who departs after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming.
Mogensen’s previous 23‑year stint at Games Workshop culminated in his role as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing, where he helped shepherd iconic brands such as Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and Transformers. "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," he reflected.
Blizzard Entertainment added Ryan Rubin as Senior Producer. Rubin’s background includes senior production work on Netflix mobile titles like "Squid Game: Unleashed" and "Selling Sunset," as well as a five‑year creative development stint at Riot Games on the League of Legends IP. His cross‑platform experience is expected to bolster Blizzard’s live‑service initiatives.
Battlestate Games appointed Andrey Odintsov as Head of Marketing. Odintsov previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and now operates as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant, bringing a data‑driven mindset to Battlestate’s expanding portfolio.
Frontier Developments announced Dan Lazarides as Chief Marketing Officer, succeeding Jo Cooke, who moved into the CEO role earlier this year. Lazarides comes from Sega Europe, where he was Senior Vice President of Marketing, and is praised by Frontier CEO Jo Cooke for his deep IP knowledge and player‑first philosophy. "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," Cooke said. Kalypso Media UK introduced Karen Ionescu as Digital Sales Manager.
Ionescu’s résumé includes sales leadership at Numskull Games and prior roles at Nintendo and Rising Star Games, positioning her to strengthen Kalypso’s retail and digital distribution channels. Swipe Right, an esports and gaming communications agency, promoted Hannah Barrett to Senior Account Executive after she joined as an Account Executive in December 2025. Barrett’s advancement reflects her growing expertise in managing client relationships within the fast‑moving esports sector.
Supercell named Anni Pyy as Contract Manager, following four years in a similar capacity at Metacore. Pyy’s contract expertise will support Supercell’s extensive portfolio of mobile titles. Fintech platform ZBD appointed Nathan Solbrandt as SVP of Business Development.
Solbrandt previously held senior account and VP roles at Motorica and Xsolla, respectively, giving him a solid foundation in financial services for gaming. Riot Games hired Olivia Lee as Internal Events Producer, building on her prior experience coordinating internal programs and events, which are crucial for maintaining company culture in a large, globally distributed studio. Xsolla added Ciarah Pritchard as Account Coordinator. Pritchard’s background as an Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards will help Xsolla optimise client outcomes across its payment and distribution services.
Bethesda welcomed back 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 oversee messaging for some of the industry’s most beloved franchises.
Nintendo of America named Maddie Richter as Social Media Marketing Manager. Richter transitions from Alaska Airlines, where she managed social channels, to help Nintendo engage its fanbase across platforms. Yotta Games added narrative talent Dana Duffield as Narrative Designer.
Duffield previously served as Senior Narrative Designer at Series Entertainment, bringing strong storytelling chops to Yotta’s upcoming projects. The UK‑based Yogscast Games announced three new hires: Charlotte Willis as PR and Influencer Manager (formerly Creator and Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney as Production Coordinator (previous junior producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang as Publishing Coordinator (with a background in production, animation, and teaching at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone). Their combined expertise is set to amplify Yogscast’s creator‑focused publishing strategy.
Roblox’s Foundation AI team expanded with Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger, both co‑founders of the AI interactive platform Jars AI, which raised $3.5 million from Google and other investors in 2023. They will help develop Roblox’s mobile‑first AI creation tool, Build, in New Zealand, pushing the boundaries of AI‑driven entertainment. Rockstar Games hired 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, bringing valuable live‑ops insight.
Netflix Games appointed Joe Chard as Lead Product Manager. Chard’s prior experience includes VP and Studio General Manager roles at Jam City, senior product positions at Disney, and leadership at Warner Bros.
Entertainment, equipping them to steer Netflix’s growing portfolio of interactive experiences. These appointments collectively illustrate the fluid nature of talent in the gaming ecosystem, where seasoned veterans move between studios, publishers, and tech platforms, bringing fresh perspectives that shape the next generation of games and services.