Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions and departures in the games sector can be a full‑time job in itself, which is why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most notable movements. If your studio has recent appointments or role changes you think belong in this list, please forward the individual's name, new title, new company, as well as their previous position and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
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 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 leadership positions at classic UK studios such as Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios and BossAlien, giving him a deep‑rooted perspective on both legacy and modern development pipelines.
"Ben is a true industry heavy‑hitter 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 re‑joined 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 released its debut title, The Plucky Squire, in September 2024 to critical acclaim.
His return marks a homecoming to the brand he helped shape for many years, and his experience running an independent studio is expected to inject fresh creative energy into Pokémon’s visual direction. Billy King has been named Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment. King arrives from ZeniMax Online Studios, where he led concept art, and previously served as a senior concept artist at Amazon Games.
His portfolio spans sci‑fi shooters, fantasy RPGs and large‑scale multiplayer experiences, making him a strong fit for Respawn’s ambitious upcoming projects. Team17 announced Sam Duncombe as its new Brand Marketing Manager. Duncombe moves from Warner Bros.
Discovery, where he was product manager for games and film, and will now steer Team17’s brand strategy across its diverse portfolio of indie and mid‑tier titles. Cansu Karahan Can has taken the People and Culture Manager role at Loom Games, after a similar stint at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). Her focus will be on nurturing a supportive studio environment as Loom expands its roster of narrative‑driven games.
Christopher Wulf earned a promotion to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveler. Wulf, who joined the company in 2021, previously worked for The Triple‑i Initiative as senior business and event manager, and will now drive partnership growth for Fellow Traveler’s upcoming titles. Julie Derhak is now a Producer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. After seven years at Epic Games, where she contributed to Fortnite Tech Art and Lego Fortnite, Derhak brings a strong production pedigree to the tabletop‑gaming giant.
Alvaro Menéndez has become International Social Lead at Mojang Studios. Menéndez moves from Epic Games Madrid, where he was senior marketing manager, and will oversee global community engagement for Minecraft and related properties.
Linus Johnsson was promoted to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments. Having joined Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer, Johnsson’s work on atmospheric soundscapes will now shape the studio’s next generation of simulation titles. After a seven‑year tenure at Epic Games, Nate Nanzer departs to assume the role of EVP, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. Nanzer, formerly SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation, 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 steps into the Head of Media position at Amazon Gaming. Previously head of media, social & analytics at Kia America and a senior figure in Amazon Studios' digital and ad‑tech divisions, Gutnik returns to her entertainment roots, noting, "After two years navigating the auto industry, I am returning to the place that shaped me into a global marketing leader." Lorna Antoniazzi joins Studio MDHR as Art Producer, after producing at Roarty Digital on Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite. Aysu Kutbay becomes Product Manager at Grand Games, moving from a similar 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 is appointed Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage, after serving as COO and head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing. Tim Coombs becomes Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna; he previously directed brand management at Xbox 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.
With 23 years at Games Workshop behind him, Mogensen reflected, "It's not lost on me how special it's been to have worked on, and for, my favourite brands – Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Transformers… I'm very much looking forward to my next chapter." Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer, after senior producer roles at Netflix (Squid Game: Unleashed, Selling Sunset) and five years at Riot Games on League of Legends creative development. Andrey Odintsov is appointed Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games, bringing experience from Multicast Games and independent growth consulting. Dan Lazarides becomes Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments, after serving as SVP of Marketing at Sega Europe.
Frontier CEO Jo Cooke praised his appointment, emphasizing a "player‑first" strategy. Karen Ionescu takes the Digital Sales Manager role at Kalypso Media UK, bringing a background that includes Nintendo and Rising Star Games.
Hannah Barrett is promoted to Senior Account Executive at esports communications agency Swipe Right. Supercell names Anni Pyy as Contract Manager; she previously held the same title 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 hired as Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, while Ciarah Pritchard becomes Account Coordinator at Xsolla.
Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as VP of Communications, having previously risen through Bethesda and EA ranks. Maddie Richter joins Nintendo of America as Social Media Marketing Manager, after a stint at Alaska Airlines.
Dana Duffield becomes Narrative Designer at Yotta Games, coming from Series Entertainment. Yogscast Games announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR & Influencer Manager), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator) and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator). Willis previously worked at Diva Agency; Mawhinney was a junior producer at Atelier 11; Pang has experience as a producer, animator and educator. 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. Sathvik Sudireddy becomes Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games, after product management on Call of Duty at Activision.
Finally, Joe Chard is appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games, following senior leadership roles at Jam City, Disney and Warner Bros.