Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. To make life easier for industry watchers, we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel moves across studios, publishers, and service providers.

If you know of a change that belongs in this list—whether it’s a new executive appointment, a senior hire, or a notable exit—please forward the name, new title, company, and former role to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. ### CodeDev Group appoints Ben Board as CEO of The Performance Guys Former Epic Games veteran Ben Board has taken the helm 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 UK developers Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios, and BossAlien, giving him a broad perspective on both classic and modern game development pipelines. "Ben is a true industry heavyweight 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." Board’s appointment underscores CodeDev’s commitment to providing world‑class performance‑tuning services for titles that need to run smoothly on consoles, PC, and emerging cloud platforms. ### James Turner returns to The Pokémon Company International 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 indie studio released its debut title, *The Plucky Squire*, in September 2024 to critical acclaim. His return signals a renewed focus on artistic direction within the Pokémon franchise, where his experience in both large‑scale IP management and indie development will help bridge the gap between classic brand aesthetics and innovative visual storytelling.

### Billy King becomes Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment Respawn Entertainment announced the hiring of Billy King as its new Lead Concept Artist. King previously led concept teams at ZeniMax Online Studios and served as Senior Concept Artist for Amazon Games, where he contributed to several high‑profile projects.

At Respawn, King will oversee the visual development of upcoming titles, ensuring that the studio’s signature blend of cinematic action and vibrant world‑building continues to evolve. ### Additional notable moves - **Sam Duncombe** joins Team 17 as Brand Marketing Manager after a tenure as Product Manager – Games & Film at Warner Bros. Discovery. - **Cansu Karahan Can** becomes People and Culture Manager at Loom Games, bringing experience from a similar role at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion).

- **Christopher Wulf** is promoted to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveler, where he has worked since 2021 following a senior role at The Triple‑i Initiative. - **Julie Derhak** steps into the role of Producer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast, after seven years at Epic Games where she contributed to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego‑Fortnite crossover. - **Alvaro Menéndez** takes the position of International Social Lead at Mojang Studios, previously a Senior Marketing Manager for Epic Games in Madrid.

- **Linus Johnsson** advances to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments, having risen from graduate audio designer to his current senior role since joining the studio in 2022. - **Nate Nanzer** departs Epic Games after a seven‑year stint to become EVP, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. Nanzer, who most recently served as 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** is appointed Head of Media at Amazon Gaming.

She returns to Amazon after two years at Kia America, having previously overseen media, social, and analytics for Prime Video and Amazon Studios. - **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, 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 named Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage, after serving as COO and Head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing.

- **Tim Coombs** takes over 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.

Mogensen spent 23 years at Games Workshop, most recently heading business development and consumer product licensing. - **Ryan Rubin** joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer, after senior production work on Netflix mobile titles *Squid Game: Unleashed* and *Selling Sunset*, and five years at Riot Games on League of Legends creative development. - **Andrey Odintsov** becomes Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games, following user‑acquisition work at Multicast Games and independent consulting. - **Dan Lazarides** steps into the Chief Marketing Officer role at Frontier Developments, after serving as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe.

Frontier CEO Jo Cooke praised his appointment, noting that his leadership will reinforce the studio’s "player‑first" strategy. - **Karen Ionescu** is hired as Digital Sales Manager at Kalypso Media UK, bringing 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** joins fintech platform ZBD as SVP of Business Development, after senior roles at Motorica and Xsolla.

- **Olivia Lee** is appointed Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, previously an associate producer for internal programs. - **Ciarah Pritchard** takes the role of Account Coordinator at Xsolla, after work as an 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 at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, previously 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 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. - **Joe Chard** is appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games, following senior leadership roles at Jam City, Disney, and Warner Bros.

These appointments reflect a broader industry trend toward cross‑pollination of talent between large publishers, indie studios, and tech companies, as firms seek fresh perspectives to drive innovation, improve performance, and expand their global reach. The movement of seasoned leaders like Ben Board and James Turner into new strategic positions suggests that experience in both development and business development remains a prized asset in an increasingly competitive market.