Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures in the video‑game sector can be a real challenge, which is why we publish periodic round‑ups that gather all the notable moves in one place. If you know of any recent appointments or role changes that belong in this list, please forward the name, new title, new company, and previous position 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 background 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 across both development and publishing. "Ben is a genuine heavyweight in the industry, and his technical credibility speaks for itself," said Myke Parrot, CEO of CodeDev Group.
"He understands game creation from the low‑level engine code to high‑level developer relations on the world’s biggest platforms. Appointing Ben as CEO sends a clear signal: whenever a title suffers from performance bottlenecks on any engine, we have the premier team on the planet to resolve it." 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 studio’s debut title, The Plucky Squire, launched in September 2024 and earned praise for its inventive gameplay and art direction.
His return to the Pokémon franchise brings a seasoned creative mind back into the fold. Billy King has been named Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment. King previously led concept work at ZeniMax Online Studios and served as a senior concept artist for Amazon Games, where he helped shape visual identities for several high‑profile projects.
Sam Duncombe moves into the role of Brand Marketing Manager at Team17. Before joining the UK‑based publisher, he spent time as Product Manager for games and film at Warner Bros.
Discovery, overseeing cross‑media initiatives and brand strategy. Cansu Karahan Can joins Loom Games as People and Culture Manager, having previously performed the same function at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). Her expertise in talent development and organisational culture is expected to support Loom’s growing indie portfolio. Christopher Wulf has been promoted to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveller.
Wulf, who joined the company in 2021, previously worked for The Triple‑i Initiative as 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, before transitioning to tabletop gaming. Alvaro Menéndez takes on the position of International Social Lead at Mojang Studios. He formerly served as Senior Marketing Manager for Epic Games in Madrid, where he oversaw global community initiatives and social campaigns. Linus Johnsson has been elevated to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments.
Johnsson began his career at Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer and has progressed to a senior role, contributing to the soundscapes of titles such as Elite Dangerous and Planet Coaster. After a seven‑year tenure at Epic Games, Nate Nanzer departs to become Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. At Epic his most recent titles included SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation, where he helped shape the company’s revenue strategies. "The scale of the ambition and vision 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 steps into the role of Head of Media at Amazon Gaming. Previously she led media, social, and analytics for Kia America, and before that she spent over six years at Amazon Studios and Prime Video, heading digital and ad‑tech media functions. "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," Gutnik explained.
Lorna Antoniazzi is appointed Art Producer at Studio MDHR, known for the critically acclaimed Cuphead. Antoniazzi previously worked as a producer at Roarty Digital, contributing to Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite projects.
Aysu Kutbay becomes Product Manager at Grand Games after serving in the same capacity at Rollic, where she helped launch several successful mobile titles. David Bailey returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined the Warhammer powerhouse in 2019 as Senior Licensing Manager, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now comes back to steer licensing deals for the ever‑expanding Warhammer universe. "It's a privilege to return to the vast and evergreen Warhammer universes to help spearhead new business for licensing here," he said.
Liana Murphy is now Account Director for US Operations at Second Stage. Prior to this, she simultaneously held the COO and Head of PR positions at Vicariously and V Publishing, overseeing multi‑project pipelines. Tim Coombs takes the helm as 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.
Earlier in his career he managed product marketing for Amazon Lumberyard (2017) and later led the Amazon Game Tech team. Erik Mogensen exits Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for digital gaming.
Before that, he spent 23 years at Games Workshop, culminating 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 previously produced two mobile titles for Netflix – Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset – and spent five years at Riot Games, contributing to creative development across the League of Legends IP.
Andrey Odintsov is appointed Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games. Odintsov previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and currently works as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various studios.
Dan Lazarides becomes Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments. Lazarides formerly served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe and steps into the CMO role following Jo Cooke’s promotion to CEO. "His leadership in this genre will continue Frontier's upward momentum," Cooke noted, emphasizing a player‑first strategy. Karen Ionescu is named Digital Sales Manager at Kalypso Media UK.
Ionescu brings experience from Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games, and will oversee both retail and digital distribution channels. Hannah Barrett earns a promotion 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 spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore. Nathan Solbrandt becomes SVP of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD, after roles as Senior Account Executive at Motorica and VP of Business Development for the Americas at Xsolla. Olivia Lee is hired as Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, having earlier worked as Associate Producer for internal events and programs.
Ciarah Pritchard joins Xsolla as Account Coordinator, 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 comes back to help shape messaging for flagship franchises.
Maddie Richter becomes Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, moving from a role as Social Media Manager 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, previously Creator and Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, formerly Junior Producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator, with past experience as Producer, Animator, and Artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, plus teaching roles 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, aiming to push the boundaries of AI‑driven entertainment. Sathvik Sudireddy is hired as Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games.
He previously managed product responsibilities for Call of Duty at Activision following a business‑development internship at Rockstar. Joe Chard becomes Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games, after serving as Vice President, Studio General Manager, and Head of Product at Jam City for six years, as well as senior roles at Disney and Warner Bros. These appointments reflect the ongoing dynamism of the games industry, where talent moves across studios, platforms, and even into adjacent entertainment sectors, constantly reshaping the creative and commercial landscape.