Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. To make it easier for industry professionals and enthusiasts alike, we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel moves. If your organization has recent staffing changes that merit inclusion, please forward the name of the individual, their new title, the company they are joining, as well as their previous role and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. **Ben Board Takes the Helm at 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 stepped into 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 Studios, and BossAlien, giving him a breadth of experience that spans both classic and modern game development.
"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." Board’s appointment underscores CodeDev’s commitment to offering top‑tier performance‑optimization services, a niche that has grown increasingly critical as games become more graphically intensive and players demand smoother experiences across a variety of hardware configurations.
**James Turner Returns to Pokémon Company International** James Turner is back at 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, a studio that launched its debut title *The Plucky Squire* in September 2024.
His return signals a renewed focus on artistic direction within the Pokémon franchise, where visual identity remains a core component of the brand’s global appeal. Turner's extensive background in both indie development and large‑scale production equips him to bridge the gap between innovative design and the beloved aesthetic that fans expect from Pokémon. **Billy King Joins Respawn Entertainment as Lead Concept Artist** Respawn Entertainment has announced Billy King as its new lead concept artist. King previously headed concept work at ZeniMax Online Studios and served as a senior concept artist for Amazon Games.
His portfolio, which includes high‑fantasy environments and character designs for several AAA titles, is expected to enrich Respawn’s upcoming projects, particularly those that demand a fresh visual language while staying true to the studio’s signature style. **Additional Notable Moves** - **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 on the People and Culture Manager role at Loom Games, having previously held the same position at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). - **Christopher Wulf** is promoted to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveller, a company he joined in 2021 after serving as Senior Business and Event Manager for The Triple‑i Initiative. - **Julie Derhak** steps into the role 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** is named International Social Lead at Mojang Studios, after a period as Senior Marketing Manager for Epic Games in Madrid. - **Linus Johnsson** advances to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments, where he began as a graduate audio designer in 2022. - **Nate Nanzer** departs Epic Games after a seven‑year stint to become Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. Nanzer, who most recently served as SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation, 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** assumes the position of Head of Media at Amazon Gaming. Prior to this, she led media, social, and analytics for Kia America and spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios handling digital and ad‑tech media. - **Lorna Antoniazzi** becomes Art Producer at Studio MDHR, after producing at Roarty Digital on titles such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite.
- **Aysu Kutbay** is appointed 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 Games Workshop in 2019, left in 2021 for 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 concurrently serving as COO and Head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing.
- **Tim Coombs** is hired as Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna. He previously directed brand management at Xbox (2020‑2026) 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 23‑year tenure at Games Workshop included leading 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 stint at Riot Games on the League of Legends IP. - **Andrey Odintsov** becomes Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games, after working as User Acquisition Manager at Multicast Games and consulting independently on growth and go‑to‑market strategies.
- **Dan Lazarides** is appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments. Lazarides previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe and replaces Jo Cooke, who moved to Frontier’s CEO role in January.
Frontier CEO Jo Cooke praised him, stating that his leadership will "continue Frontier's upward momentum" and place the company’s "player‑first strategy" at the core of its publishing efforts. - **Karen Ionescu** joins Kalypso Media UK as Digital Sales Manager, after roles at Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games. Managing Director Andrew Johnson highlighted her extensive commercial experience across retail and digital 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.
- **Anni Pyy** becomes Contract Manager at Supercell, following four years in the same capacity at Metacore. - **Nathan Solbrandt** takes on the SVP of Business Development role at fintech platform ZBD, after senior account work at Motorica and a VP position at Xsolla for the Americas.
- **Olivia Lee** is named Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, previously serving 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, rose to Associate VP of Communications, 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, and helping bring their creativity and vision to players around the world." - **Maddie Richter** becomes Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, after working as Social Media Manager for Alaska Airlines. - **Dana Duffield** joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer, previously senior narrative designer at Series Entertainment.
- **Yogscast Games** announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR & Influencer Manager, formerly Creator & Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, previously Junior Producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator, with past experience as producer, animator, and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, and as an instructor 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, raising $3.5 million from Google and other investors, and expressed excitement about pushing AI entertainment boundaries in their new roles. - **Sathvik Sudireddy** becomes Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games, after product‑management work on *Call of Duty* at Activision and a business‑development internship at Rockstar.
- **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 dynamic nature of talent circulation within the gaming ecosystem, where experience from one studio often fuels innovation at another. The cross‑pollination of skills—from technical optimisation and creative direction to brand strategy and community engagement—continues to shape the industry’s evolution and the experiences delivered to players worldwide.