Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and role changes across the gaming sector can be a real challenge. To make it easier for readers and industry insiders, we put together regular round‑up posts that capture the most noteworthy personnel shifts each month. If you know of a colleague or a teammate who has taken on a new position and you think it belongs in this list, simply email the details – name, new title, new company, as well as the previous role and employer – to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. One of the headline moves this month comes from Paramount Games, which announced that Nate Nanzer is joining the studio as Executive Vice President and head of Commercial & Marketing.
Nanzer departs Epic Games after a seven‑year tenure, during which he most recently held the title of Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Monetisation. In his own words, the scale of Paramount’s ambition "is incredibly exciting" and the chance to help shape the next chapter of the company’s entertainment portfolio was "simply too compelling to pass up." He also expressed gratitude toward his former Epic colleagues, noting that he will "always be proud of what we accomplished together" and will be cheering the team from the sidelines.
In another notable appointment, Amazon Gaming has promoted Julia Gutnik to Head of Media. Gutnik’s background spans both automotive and entertainment sectors; she previously led media, social, and analytics for Kia America and spent more than six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she oversaw digital and ad‑tech media initiatives.
Reflecting on her return to the entertainment side of Amazon, Gutnik said, "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." Studio MDHR welcomed Lorna Antoniazzi as an Art Producer. Antoniazzi brings experience from Roarty Digital, where she contributed to high‑profile projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite. Her artistic production expertise is expected to bolster MDHR’s visual development pipeline.
Grand Games announced the addition of Aysu Kutbay as Product Manager. Kutbay previously served in the same capacity at Rollic, where she honed her skills in mobile game product strategy and launch execution.
Games Workshop saw the return of David Bailey, who has been re‑hired as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined Games Workshop in 2019 as Senior Licensing Manager, left in 2021 to become Director of Business Affairs at Sumo Digital, and now returns to help steer the licensing arm of the expansive Warhammer universe.
He described the move as a "privilege" and highlighted the opportunity to work with "great people" on beloved franchises. Second Stage appointed Liana Murphy as Account Director for its U.S.
operations. Murphy’s recent roles include serving simultaneously as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, giving her a strong blend of operational and communications experience.
Amazon Luna introduced Tim Coombs as Head of Brand Marketing. Coombs previously spent six years at Xbox, most recently as Director of Brand Management, and before that held product marketing positions within Amazon’s gaming ecosystem, including roles on Amazon Lumberyard and Amazon Game Tech.
After three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming at Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, Erik Mogensen announced his departure. Mogensen’s career includes a 23‑year stint at Games Workshop, where he ultimately led Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing.
He reflected on his time working on iconic brands such as Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and Transformers, and expressed optimism about his next professional chapter. Blizzard Entertainment added Ryan Rubin to its senior production team. Rubin previously led senior production at Netflix, overseeing mobile titles like Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset, and spent five years at Riot Games working on creative development for the League of Legends franchise. Battlestate Games named Andrey Odintsov as Head of Marketing.
Odintsov’s background includes user acquisition leadership at Multicast Games and current work as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for gaming titles. Frontier Developments promoted Dan Lazarides to Chief Marketing Officer, succeeding Jo Cooke after her elevation to CEO.
Lazarides formerly served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe. Frontier’s CEO Jo Cooke praised Lazarides for his deep experience with major IPs and emphasized that his appointment aligns with the studio’s "player‑first" strategy and focus on community‑driven creativity.
Kalypso Media UK welcomed Karen Ionescu as Digital Sales Manager. Ionescu’s résumé includes sales management at Numskull Games, as well as positions at Nintendo and Rising Star Games. Managing Director Andrew Johnson highlighted her extensive commercial network across both retail and digital channels.
Swipe Right, a communications agency specializing in esports and gaming, promoted Hannah Barrett to Senior Account Executive after she joined the firm as an Account Executive in December 2025. Supercell announced Anni Pyy as Contract Manager.
Pyy previously spent four years in the same role at Metacore, where she managed contractual negotiations for multiple mobile titles. Fintech platform ZBD appointed Nathan Solbrandt as Senior Vice President 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’s earlier responsibilities involved coordinating internal events and programs, ensuring employee engagement and cultural initiatives run smoothly. Xsolla welcomed Ciarah Pritchard as Account Coordinator. Pritchard previously worked as an Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards, where she optimized client outcomes across various gaming campaigns. Bethesda announced the return of Tracey Thompson as Vice President of Communications.
Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009, rising to Associate VP of Communications before leaving for Electronic Arts in 2019. She expressed excitement about collaborating with Bethesda and Xbox teams on iconic franchises and helping bring creative visions to a global audience. Nintendo of America hired Maddie Richter as Social Media Marketing Manager.
Richter’s background includes a stint as Social Media Manager for Alaska Airlines, where she crafted engagement strategies for a non‑gaming brand, a skill set she now brings to Nintendo’s community outreach. Yotta Games added narrative talent Dana Duffield as a Narrative Designer. Duffield previously served as Senior Narrative Designer at Series Entertainment, contributing to story development and world‑building for several indie titles.
The Yogscast Games publishing arm announced three new hires: Charlotte Willis as PR and Influencer Manager (formerly Creator and Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney as Production Coordinator (previously a 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 expanded with Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger, both of whom co‑founded the AI interactive platform Jars AI in 2023 after raising $3.5 million from investors including Google. Their mission at Roblox is to advance the mobile‑first AI creation tool "Build in New Zealand," pushing the boundaries of AI‑driven entertainment.
Rockstar Games welcomed Sathvik Sudireddy as Marketing Manager for Live Services. Sudireddy previously managed product responsibilities on Call of Duty at Activision and completed a business‑development internship at Rockstar, giving him a solid foundation in live‑service marketing. Netflix Games appointed Joe Chard as Lead Product Manager. Chard’s extensive background includes a six‑year tenure as Vice President, Studio General Manager, and Head of Product at Jam City, as well as senior product roles at The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros.
Entertainment, positioning him to drive Netflix’s gaming portfolio forward. These appointments, promotions, and departures illustrate the dynamic nature of talent movement within the interactive entertainment industry, underscoring how companies continuously seek fresh perspectives and seasoned expertise to navigate an ever‑evolving market. The collective experience of these professionals—spanning development, publishing, marketing, licensing, and community management—will shape the next wave of games, services, and experiences for players worldwide.