Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and role changes across the games sector can be a daunting task. To make it easier for readers and industry professionals, we regularly compile these updates into concise round‑ups.
If you know of any recent appointments or transitions that belong in this list, please forward the individual's name, new title, new company, as well as their previous position and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Nate Nanzer has decided to leave 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 helped shape the company’s revenue strategies and partnership frameworks.
"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 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." In other news, Julia Gutnik has been appointed Head of Media at Amazon Gaming. Gutnik brings a strong background in media and analytics, having previously led media, social, and analytics functions at Kia America. She also spent more than six years within Amazon's broader ecosystem, holding senior roles at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she oversaw 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 remarked, underscoring her excitement about re‑joining the entertainment side of Amazon. Studio MDHR announced that Lorna Antoniazzi will join 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 collaboration. Her experience in large‑scale live‑service titles is expected to bolster Studio MDHR’s visual development pipeline.
Grand Games welcomed Aysu Kutbay as its new Product Manager. Kutbay previously held a similar product‑management role at Rollic, where she helped launch and optimise several mobile titles. Her expertise in data‑driven product iteration should help Grand Games accelerate its upcoming releases. David Bailey has made a return to Games Workshop, stepping into 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 the 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 for 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 unique blend of operational and communications expertise that should serve Second Stage’s expanding client roster. Tim Coombs has taken the helm of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna. Coombs arrived from Xbox, where he served as Director of Brand Management until July 2026 after joining the console maker in 2020 as Senior Manager for Brand Strategy.
Earlier in his career, Coombs helped launch Amazon Lumberyard in 2017 and later led product marketing for Amazon Game Tech, giving him a deep understanding of both cloud‑based game development tools and consumer‑facing brand work. Erik Mogensen announced his departure from Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming. Prior to his stint at Hasbro, Mogensen spent 23 years at Games Workshop, culminating in the role of Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing.
Reflecting on his career, he said, "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 added Ryan Rubin to its senior production team. Rubin previously served as a Senior Producer at Netflix, overseeing two shipped mobile titles—Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset.
Before that, he spent five years at Riot Games, focusing on creative development for the League of Legends franchise, giving him a solid foundation in live‑service production pipelines. Andrey Odintsov has been appointed Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games. Odintsov’s most recent role was User Acquisition Manager at Multicast Games, and he currently operates as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various gaming projects, bringing a data‑centric approach to player acquisition. Frontier Developments announced Dan Lazarides as its new Chief Marketing Officer.
Lazarides previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe and succeeded Jo Cooke, who moved into the CEO role at Frontier earlier this year. "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." Kalypso Media UK appointed Karen Ionescu as Digital Sales Manager. Ionescu’s background includes a sales‑manager role at Numskull Games as well as positions at Nintendo and Rising Star Games, giving her a broad perspective on both retail and digital distribution channels.
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." Swipe Right, a communications agency focused on esports and gaming, promoted Hannah Barrett to Senior Account Executive after she joined the firm as an Account Executive in December 2025. Supercell named Anni Pyy as Contract Manager.
Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore, where she oversaw legal and partnership agreements for mobile titles. Fintech platform ZBD announced Nathan Solbrandt as its SVP 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 gatherings and community initiatives. Xsolla welcomed Ciarah Pritchard as Account Coordinator.
Pritchard previously worked as an Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards, focusing on optimizing partner revenue streams. 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 Electronic Arts in 2019. "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. Nintendo of America named Maddie Richter as Social Media Marketing Manager. Richter previously managed social media for Alaska Airlines, where she honed expertise in audience engagement and brand storytelling.
Yotta Games added narrative designer Dana Duffield to its roster. Duffield came from Series Entertainment, where she served as Senior Narrative Designer, crafting storylines for a variety of interactive experiences.
The UK publisher Yogscast Games revealed 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 a diverse background as a producer, animator, and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, and has also taught game design, animation, and coding at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone.
Roblox's Foundation AI team welcomed Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger to support the mobile‑first AI creation tool Build in New Zealand. Holm and Kruger co‑founded the AI interactive platform Jars AI in 2023, securing $3.5 million in funding 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. Rockstar Games appointed Sathvik Sudireddy as Marketing Manager for Live Services.
Sudireddy previously served as Product Manager on Call of Duty at Activision and began his career with a business‑development internship at Rockstar. Netflix Games announced Joe Chard as Lead Product Manager.
Chard brings extensive 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 movements illustrate the dynamic nature of talent flow within the interactive entertainment industry, where seasoned professionals often shift between major publishers, platform holders, and emerging studios, bringing fresh perspectives and cross‑disciplinary expertise to their new roles.