Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions and departures across the games sector can be a real challenge, which is why we publish regular round‑ups that gather all the notable moves in one place. If you know of any recent appointments or role changes that belong in this list, please forward the name, new title, company and previous position to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
Ben Board, a former senior figure at Epic Games, has been installed as chief executive of The Performance Guys, the optimisation arm of CodeDev Group. Board joined Epic in 2017 as a developer support manager and later became business development director for the Epic Game Store and Unreal Engine.
His résumé also includes leadership stints at Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios and BossAlien, giving him a breadth of experience that spans both classic and modern development environments. "Ben is a genuine heavyweight in the industry, and his reputation and technical credibility speak for themselves," said Myke Parrot, CEO of CodeDev Group.
"He has seen game creation from every angle – from writing engine scripts to managing developer relations on the world’s biggest platforms. Appointing Ben as CEO of The Performance Guys sends a clear signal: if your title is suffering from performance bottlenecks on any engine, you’re working with the best team on the planet to fix it." In other news, James Turner has re‑joined The Pokémon Company International as Creative Director of Pokémon Art and Design.
Turner originally left Game Freak in 2022 to co‑found All Possible Futures with Jonathan Biddle; the studio’s debut title, The Plucky Squire, launched in September 2024 and earned praise for its inventive storytelling. His return to the Pokémon franchise brings a seasoned creative hand back to the core brand.
Billy King has been named Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment. King previously held the same senior role at ZeniMax Online Studios and was a senior concept artist for Amazon Games, where he contributed to a range of high‑profile projects.
His portfolio of creature and environment designs is expected to enrich Respawn’s upcoming titles. Sam Duncombe moves to Team17 as Brand Marketing Manager after serving as Product Manager for games and film at Warner Bros.
Discovery. In this capacity he will oversee brand strategy and promotional campaigns for Team17’s expanding catalogue.
Cansu Karahan Can joins Loom Games as People and Culture Manager, having previously performed the same function at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). Her focus will be on nurturing talent and strengthening internal community practices.
Christopher Wulf earns a promotion to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveller. Wulf, who entered the firm in 2021, previously worked for The Triple‑i Initiative as senior business and event manager, bringing a solid background in partnership cultivation.
Julie Derhak steps into the role of Producer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. Derhak spent seven years at Epic Games, where she contributed to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego‑Fortnite collaboration, giving her a strong foundation in large‑scale production pipelines.
Alvaro Menéndez is appointed International Social Lead at Mojang Studios. He comes from a senior marketing manager position at Epic Games in Madrid, where he oversaw global community initiatives.
Linus Johnsson advances to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments. Johnsson originally joined Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer and has since progressed through the ranks, contributing to the studio’s distinctive soundscapes.
After seven years at Epic Games, Nate Nanzer departs to become Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. Nanzer’s most recent Epic role was SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation. He remarked, "The scale of the ambition and vision here for what's next is incredibly exciting. 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." Julia Gutnik takes the helm as Head of Media at Amazon Gaming.
Previously she led media, social and analytics at Kia America and spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she managed 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 said. Lorna Antoniazzi becomes Art Producer at Studio MDHR, after a tenure as producer at Roarty Digital where she worked on Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite. Aysu Kutbay is appointed Product Manager at Grand Games, coming from a product‑management role at Rollic.
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 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now says, "It's a privilege to return to the vast and evergreen Warhammer universes to help spearhead new business for licensing here." Liana Murphy assumes the position of Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage, after simultaneously serving as COO and Head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing.
Tim Coombs is named Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna. He previously directed brand management at Xbox until July 2026 and held product‑marketing roles for Amazon Lumberyard and Amazon Game Tech. Erik Mogensen exits Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for digital gaming.
His prior 23‑year stint at Games Workshop culminated as 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. Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer.
Rubin’s background includes senior production work on Netflix mobile titles Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset, as well as five years at Riot Games on creative development for the League of Legends IP. Andrey Odintsov becomes Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games, after user‑acquisition work at Multicast Games and independent consulting for game growth.
Dan Lazarides is appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe and steps in following Jo Cooke’s promotion to CEO.
Cooke praised Lazarides, noting his experience with large IPs and his focus on a player‑first strategy. Karen Ionescu takes the role of Digital Sales Manager at Kalypso Media UK, bringing experience from Numskull Games, Nintendo and Rising Star Games.
Managing Director Andrew Johnson said, "She brings a wealth of commercial experience and long‑standing relationships across both retail and digital sales channels." Hannah Barrett is promoted to Senior Account Executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right, after joining as an account executive in December 2025. Supercell hires Anni Pyy as Contract Manager; Pyy previously held the same position at Metacore for four years.
Nathan Solbrandt becomes SVP of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD, after senior roles at Motorica and Xsolla. Olivia Lee is appointed Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, building on her prior experience as associate producer for internal events and programs.
Ciarah Pritchard joins Xsolla as Account Coordinator, after serving as Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards. Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as Vice President of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009, left for EA in 2019, and now says, "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." Maddie Richter becomes Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, after a stint as Social Media Manager at Alaska Airlines.
Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer, following senior narrative work at Series Entertainment. Yogscast Games announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR and Influencer Manager, formerly Creator and Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, previously junior producer at Atelier 11) and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator, with past roles as producer, animator and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, plus teaching experience at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone). Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger join 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 and raised $3.5 million from Google and other investors.
Holm noted, "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 is hired by Rockstar Games as Marketing Manager, Live Services, after product‑management work on Call of Duty at Activision and a business‑development internship at Rockstar. Joe Chard becomes Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games, following senior leadership positions at Jam City, The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros.
Entertainment. These movements illustrate the dynamic nature of talent flow within the interactive entertainment industry, highlighting how seasoned professionals continue to shape the future of games through new challenges and leadership opportunities.