Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a real challenge, which is why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy movements. If your studio has recent staffing changes that belong in this list, please forward the name, new title, and both the new and previous employers to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Former Epic Games executive Ben Board has been tapped to lead CodeDev Group’s optimisation arm, The Performance Guys, as its chief executive officer.
Board’s resume includes a stint as business development director for the Epic Game Store and Unreal Engine, a role he stepped into after joining Epic in 2017 as a developer support manager. Earlier in his career he held senior positions at celebrated studios such as Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios, and BossAlien, giving him a breadth of experience across both legacy and modern development pipelines. "Ben is a true industry heavyweight whose reputation and technical authority speak for themselves," said Myke Parrot, CEO of CodeDev Group.
"He understands game development from every angle – from coding 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." In other news, James Turner has rejoined The Pokémon Company International, this time 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 indie studio’s debut title, The Plucky Squire, launched in September 2024 and earned praise for its inventive storytelling and hand‑drawn aesthetics. His return to the Pokémon franchise signals a renewed focus on artistic direction and brand consistency across the global franchise. Billy King has been appointed Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment.
King previously served as lead concept artist at ZeniMax Online Studios and as senior concept artist at Amazon Games, where he helped shape the visual language for several high‑profile live‑service titles. His expertise in character design and environment art is expected to bolster Respawn’s upcoming projects, including the next installment of the Titanfall series.
Sam Duncombe moves to Team17 as Brand Marketing Manager after a tenure as Product Manager – Games and Film at Warner Bros. Discovery.
In his new role, Duncombe will oversee brand strategy for Team17’s diverse portfolio, ranging from classic indie hits to larger‑scale multiplayer experiences. Cansu Karahan Can joins Loom Games as People and Culture Manager, having previously held the same position at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). Can will be responsible for nurturing the studio’s internal culture, talent acquisition, and employee development programs as Loom Games expands its roster of narrative‑driven titles. Christopher Wulf has been promoted to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveler.
Wulf, who entered the company in 2021, previously worked for The Triple‑i Initiative as a senior business and event manager, bringing a strong network of industry contacts to his new role. Julie Derhak is now a Producer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. Derhak spent seven years at Epic Games, contributing to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego Fortnite collaboration, experience she will leverage to oversee tabletop‑to‑digital adaptations and live‑event productions. Alvaro Menéndez takes on the role of International Social Lead at Mojang Studios.
Menéndez, formerly senior marketing manager for Epic Games in Madrid, will steer global community initiatives for Minecraft and its expanding ecosystem of creators. Linus Johnsson has been elevated to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments. Johnsson first joined Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer and has since contributed to the soundscapes of several open‑world projects; his promotion reflects his growing influence on the studio’s auditory identity. 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 steps in as Head of Media at Amazon Gaming, after serving as Head of Media, Social & Analytics at Kia America and holding senior digital‑media positions at Prime Video and Amazon Studios for over six years. 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." Lorna Antoniazzi becomes Art Producer at Studio MDHR, previously a producer at Roarty Digital where she contributed to Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite.
Her new responsibilities include overseeing art pipelines for the studio’s upcoming indie titles. Aysu Kutbay has been named Product Manager at Grand Games, after a product‑management role at Rollic where she helped launch several top‑grossing mobile games.
David Bailey returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey first joined Games Workshop 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. It's an incredible opportunity and it's great to be back in the fold working alongside great people." Liana Murphy is appointed Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage. Murphy most recently held dual roles as COO and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, bringing extensive operational and communications experience to her new post.
Tim Coombs becomes Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna. Coombs previously directed brand management at Xbox until July 2026, after joining the console maker in 2020 as senior manager for brand strategy.
He also served as product marketing manager for Amazon Lumberyard in 2017 and later as senior product marketing manager and team lead for Amazon Game Tech until April 2020. Erik Mogensen exits Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for digital gaming.
Mogensen’s prior 23‑year tenure at Games Workshop culminated in a head‑of‑business‑development and consumer‑product‑licensing role. He reflected, "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." Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer.
Rubin previously produced two mobile titles for Netflix—Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset—and spent five years at Riot Games working on creative development for the League of Legends IP. Andrey Odintsov has been appointed Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games. Odintsov previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and currently operates as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for game studios.
Dan Lazarides takes the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments. Lazarides came from Sega Europe, where he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing, and replaces Jo Cooke, who moved to Frontier’s CEO seat in January. Cooke praised him, stating, "We are delighted to welcome Dan to Frontier, who brings with him a wealth of experience on some of the industry's largest IP. 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." Karen Ionescu becomes Digital Sales Manager at Kalypso Media UK after sales roles at Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games. 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." Hannah Barrett has been promoted to Senior Account Executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right, after joining as an account executive in December 2025.
Supercell appoints Anni Pyy as Contract Manager; Pyy previously held the same title at Metacore for four years. Nathan Solbrandt becomes SVP of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD, after senior account executive work at Motorica and a vice‑presidential business‑development role at Xsolla for the Americas. Olivia Lee is now Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, having previously served as associate producer for internal events and programs.
Ciarah Pritchard joins Xsolla as Account Coordinator, after a stint as account performance manager at Playback Rewards. Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as Vice President of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009 as Director of Publications, later becoming Associate VP of Communications before leaving for EA in 2019.
She 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, and helping bring their creativity and vision to players around the world." Maddie Richter is appointed Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, after serving as Social Media Manager at Alaska Airlines. Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer, following a senior narrative‑designer role at Series Entertainment. Yogscast Games announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis as PR and Influencer Manager (formerly creator and community director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney as Production Coordinator (formerly junior producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang as Publishing Coordinator (previously producer, animator, and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, and an instructor at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone).
Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger have joined 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, raising $3.5 million from Google and other investors.
Holm remarked, "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 becomes Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games. Sudireddy previously worked as product manager on Call of Duty at Activision after an internship in business development at the developer.
Joe Chard is appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games. Chard’s background includes a vice‑presidential stint as Studio General Manager and Head of Product at Jam City, plus senior roles at The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros.
Entertainment.