Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the gaming sector can be a daunting task. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most notable personnel moves.
If you know of a change that belongs in this list—whether it’s a new appointment, a transition, or a return—please forward the name, new title, company, and previous role to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. In a significant leadership change, former Epic Games executive Ben Board has taken the helm 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 legendary studios such as Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead, and BossAlien, giving him a deep‑rooted understanding of both the creative and technical sides of game development. "Ben is a true industry heavyweight whose reputation and technical authority speak for themselves," said CodeDev Group CEO Myke Parrot. "He knows game development from every angle – from writing engine scripts to managing developer relations for the world’s biggest platforms.
Appointing Ben as CEO sends a clear signal: if your title is suffering performance issues on any engine, we have the best team on the planet to fix it." 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 studio’s debut title, The Plucky Squire, launched in September 2024 and earned critical praise for its inventive gameplay and art direction. His return to the Pokémon franchise brings a fresh perspective rooted in indie experience.
Billy King steps into the role of Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment. King previously led concept teams at ZeniMax Online Studios and served as a senior concept artist for Amazon Games, contributing to a range of high‑profile projects.
His portfolio showcases a strong command of sci‑fi and fantasy aesthetics, which should dovetail nicely with Respawn’s upcoming titles. Sam Duncombe has been named Brand Marketing Manager at Team17. Duncombe comes from Warner Bros. Discovery where he managed product initiatives spanning games and film, equipping him with cross‑media expertise that will support Team17’s expanding brand strategy.
Cansu Karahan Can joins Loom Games as People and Culture Manager, after serving in the same capacity at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). Her background in talent development and organisational culture will help Loom nurture a creative‑first workplace.
Christopher Wulf earned a promotion to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveller. Since joining the company in 2021, Wulf has driven partnership growth; before that he was Senior Business and Event Manager for The Triple‑i Initiative. Julie Derhak becomes a Producer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast.
She spent seven years at Epic Games, where she worked on Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego‑Fortnite collaboration, bringing a strong production pedigree to the tabletop giant. Alvaro Menéndez takes on the role of International Social Lead at Mojang Studios. Previously a Senior Marketing Manager for Epic Games in Madrid, Menéndez will oversee global community engagement for Minecraft and related IPs.
Linus Johnsson is promoted to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments. Having joined Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer, Johnsson has quickly advanced, contributing to the studio’s distinctive soundscapes. After a seven‑year tenure at Epic Games, Nate Nanzer departs to become Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. His most recent Epic role was SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation.
"The scale of ambition here for what's next is incredibly exciting," Nanzer said. "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. Before this, she led media, social, and analytics at Kia America and spent six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios overseeing digital and ad‑tech media. "After two years in the auto industry, I’m returning to my entertainment roots and to the place that shaped me into a global marketing leader," she noted.
Lorna Antoniazzi joins Studio MDHR as Art Producer, after producing at Roarty Digital on projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite. Aysu Kutbay becomes Product Manager at Grand Games, moving from a similar role at Rollic where she helped launch several mobile hits.
David Bailey returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey first 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 licensing business." Liana Murphy is named Account Director for US Operations at Second Stage, after serving concurrently as COO and Head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing. Tim Coombs takes the reins as Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna.
He previously directed brand management at Xbox (2020‑2026) and held product marketing leadership 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 prior 23‑year stint at Games Workshop culminated as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing.
"It’s not lost on me how special it’s been to have worked on, and for, my favourite brands," he reflected. Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer.
Rubin’s background includes senior production on Netflix mobile titles Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset, as well as five years at Riot Games developing creative assets for League of Legends. Andrey Odintsov becomes Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games, after experience as User Acquisition Manager at Multicast Games and independent growth consulting.
Dan Lazarides is appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments, succeeding Jo Cooke who moved to the CEO role. Lazarides previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe. "His leadership in this genre will continue Frontier's upward momentum," said CEO Jo Cooke.
Karen Ionescu steps in as Digital Sales Manager for Kalypso Media UK, bringing prior experience from Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games. Managing Director Andrew Johnson praised her extensive retail and digital channel relationships. 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.
Supercell hires 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 roles at Motorica and Xsolla (VP of Business Development for the Americas). Olivia Lee joins Riot Games as Internal Events Producer, having previously coordinated internal programs and events. Ciarah Pritchard is named Account Coordinator at Xsolla, after serving as Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards.
Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as Vice President of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009, 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." Maddie Richter takes the role of Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, after a stint as Social Media Manager for Alaska Airlines. Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer, following senior narrative work at Series Entertainment.
Yogscast Games announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR and Influencer Manager, formerly Creator and Community Director 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 and raised $3.5 million from Google and other investors.
"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," Holm said. Sathvik Sudireddy becomes Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games. He previously managed product on Call of Duty at Activision after an internship in business development.
Joe Chard is appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games, after serving as Vice President, Studio General Manager, and Head of Product at Jam City, as well as senior roles at Disney and Warner Bros. These moves reflect the dynamic nature of the industry, where talent circulates between studios, publishers, and tech platforms, continually reshaping the creative and commercial landscape of games worldwide.