Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the games sector can be a daunting task, which is why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy moves. If you know of a change that belongs in this list—new appointments, role shifts, or departures—please forward the details (name, new title, new company, previous role and employer) to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
**Ben Board takes the helm of The Performance Guys** Former Epic Games executive Ben Board has been installed as chief executive officer of The Performance Guys, the optimisation arm of CodeDev Group. Board’s résumé includes a stint as business development director for the Epic Game Store and Unreal Engine, a role he assumed after joining Epic in 2017 as a developer‑support manager.
Earlier in his career he held senior positions at iconic studios such as Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead, and BossAlien. "Ben is a true industry heavy‑hitter whose reputation and technical authority speak for themselves," said CodeDev Group founder Myke Parrot.
"He understands game development from every angle – from writing engine scripts to managing developer relations for the world’s biggest platforms and engines. Bringing Ben in as CEO of The Performance Guys sends an unmistakable message to the market: if your game has a performance problem on any engine, we have the best team on the planet to fix it." **James Turner back at Pokémon** James Turner has rejoined 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 critical praise for its whimsical art direction. His return to Pokémon signals a renewed focus on visual storytelling across the franchise’s expanding media portfolio.
**Billy King joins Respawn Entertainment** Respawn Entertainment announced the appointment of Billy King as its Lead Concept Artist. King arrives from ZeniMax Online Studios, where he led concept art, and previously served as a senior concept artist at Amazon Games. His experience spans a range of genres, from sci‑fi shooters to fantasy RPGs, and he is expected to help shape the visual language of Respawn’s upcoming projects.
**Additional appointments across the industry** - **Sam Duncombe** becomes Brand Marketing Manager at Team 17, after a tenure as Product Manager – Games and Film at Warner Bros. Discovery. - **Cansu Karahan Can** takes the People and Culture Manager role at Loom Games, having previously performed the same function at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). - **Christopher Wulf** is promoted to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveler, a company he joined in 2021 following senior business‑and‑event management work at The Triple‑i Initiative.
- **Julie Derhak** steps into the position of Producer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. She spent seven years at Epic Games, contributing to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego Fortnite collaboration.
- **Alvaro Menéndez** assumes the International Social Lead role at Mojang Studios, after serving as Senior Marketing Manager for Epic Games in Madrid. - **Linus Johnsson** rises to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments, having entered the firm in 2022 as a graduate audio designer. - **Nate Nanzer** departs Epic Games after seven years to become EVP, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games.
Nanzer, who most recently held the SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation title, said, "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** is appointed Head of Media at Amazon Gaming. Previously she led media, social, and analytics for Kia America and spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios overseeing digital and ad‑tech media. - **Lorna Antoniazzi** joins Studio MDHR as Art Producer, after producing at Roarty Digital on titles such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite.
- **Aysu Kutbay** becomes Product Manager at Grand Games, following a product‑management role at Rollic. - **David Bailey** returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined the company in 2019, 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** takes the post of Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage, after serving simultaneously 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 (2020‑2026) and held product‑marketing leadership positions 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 23‑year stint at Games Workshop culminated as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing. - **Ryan Rubin** joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer, bringing experience from Netflix (where he produced mobile titles *Squid Game: Unleashed* and *Selling Sunset*) and a five‑year creative development spell at Riot Games on the League of Legends IP.
- **Andrey Odintsov** becomes Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games, after user‑acquisition work at Multicast Games and independent growth consulting. - **Dan Lazarides** steps into the Chief Marketing Officer role at Frontier Developments, following senior VP of Marketing duties at Sega Europe.
Frontier CEO Jo Cooke praised his "wealth of experience on some of the industry's largest IP" and highlighted his focus on player‑first strategy. - **Karen Ionescu** is appointed Digital Sales Manager at Kalypso Media UK, bringing prior experience from Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games. - **Hannah Barrett** is promoted to Senior Account Executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right.
- **Anni Pyy** becomes Contract Manager at Supercell, after four years in the same capacity at Metacore. - **Nathan Solbrandt** takes the SVP of Business Development seat at fintech platform ZBD, following senior account work at Motorica and a VP role at Xsolla for the Americas. - **Olivia Lee** is hired as Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, having previously coordinated internal programs and events.
- **Ciarah Pritchard** joins Xsolla as Account Coordinator, after serving as Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards. - **Tracey Thompson** returns to Bethesda as VP of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009, left for EA in 2019, and now looks forward to supporting iconic franchises across Bethesda and Xbox. - **Maddie Richter** becomes Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, transitioning from a social media role at Alaska Airlines.
- **Dana Duffield** joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer, after senior narrative work at Series Entertainment. - **Yogscast Games** announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR & Influencer Manager, formerly creator and community director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, ex‑junior producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator, with a background in production, animation, and teaching 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 previously co‑founded Jars AI, an interactive platform that raised $3.5 million from Google and other investors.
- **Sathvik Sudireddy** becomes Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games, after a product‑management stint on *Call of Duty* at Activision. - **Joe Chard** is appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games, following senior leadership roles at Jam City, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Entertainment. These movements illustrate the vibrant, interconnected nature of the video‑game ecosystem, where talent frequently circulates among leading studios, publishers, and emerging studios, continually reshaping the creative and business landscape.