Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions and departures in the video‑game sector can feel like a full‑time job, which is why we gather the most noteworthy personnel changes in periodic round‑ups. If you know of a transition that belongs in this list—whether it’s a new appointment, a move to a different studio, or a return to a former employer—please forward the relevant details (name, new role, new company, plus previous role and employer) to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
One of the headline announcements this month is the appointment of former Epic Games executive Ben Board 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 iconic British studios such as Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios and BossAlien, giving him a rare blend of technical depth and commercial insight. “Myriad teams across the industry have come to rely on Ben’s technical authority and his knack for translating complex performance challenges into actionable solutions,” said Myke Parrot, CEO of CodeDev Group. “He’s worked on everything from low‑level engine scripting to high‑profile developer‑relations programmes for the world’s biggest platforms.
Naming him CEO sends a crystal‑clear signal: if your title is suffering on any engine, we have the premier 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 the indie studio All Possible Futures with Jonathan Biddle.
Their debut title, The Plucky Squire, launched in September 2024 and earned praise for its whimsical narrative and inventive mechanics. Turner’s return to the Pokémon franchise is being welcomed as a boost to the brand’s visual direction.
Billy King also made a move, stepping into the role of Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment. King’s prior experience includes leading concept work at ZeniMax Online Studios and serving as a senior concept artist for Amazon Games, where he helped shape the visual language of several high‑profile live‑service titles.
The list of appointments continues with Sam Duncombe, who has been named Brand Marketing Manager at Team 17. Duncombe previously oversaw product strategy for games and film at Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing a cross‑media perspective to Team 17’s marketing efforts.
Cansu Karahan Can joined Loom Games as People and Culture Manager after a similar stint at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). Her focus will be on nurturing talent and building inclusive workplace practices within the indie studio. At Fellow Traveller, Christopher Wulf earned a promotion to Senior Business Development Manager.
Since joining the company in 2021, Wulf has driven partnership initiatives, building on earlier experience as senior business and event manager for The Triple‑i Initiative. Julie Derhak transitioned to Wizards of the Coast as a Producer for the Dungeons & Dragons line. Derhak spent seven years at Epic Games, contributing to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego‑Fortnite collaboration, and now brings that production expertise to tabletop gaming.
Alvaro Menéndez was appointed International Social Lead at Mojang Studios. Previously a senior marketing manager for Epic Games in Madrid, Menéndez will oversee global community engagement for titles such as Minecraft.
Frontier Developments promoted Linus Johnsson to Senior Audio Designer. Johnsson, who entered Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer, has since taken on larger responsibilities for sound design across the studio’s portfolio. After a seven‑year tenure at Epic Games, Nate Nanzer departed to become Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. Nanzer’s most recent Epic role was SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation.
He remarked, “The ambition and vision for what’s next at Paramount are incredibly exciting. I’ve spent my career at the crossroads of games, entertainment and fandom, and this opportunity was simply too compelling to pass up.” Julia Gutnik took the helm as Head of Media at Amazon Gaming.
Before this, she led media, social and analytics for Kia America and spent over six years at Amazon Studios and Prime Video, where she managed digital and ad‑tech media initiatives. “Returning to my entertainment roots after two years in the automotive sector feels like coming home,” Gutnik said. Lorna Antoniazzi became Art Producer at Studio MDHR, having previously produced at Roarty Digital on projects like Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite. Aysu Kutbay was named Product Manager at Grand Games after serving in the same capacity at Rollic, where she helped launch several successful mobile titles.
David Bailey returned to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined the company in 2019, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now looks forward to expanding licensing opportunities across the Warhammer universe.
Liana Murphy took on the role of Account Director for US Operations at Second Stage, following a dual role as COO and Head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing. Tim Coombs was appointed Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna. Prior to this, he directed brand management at Xbox until July 2026 and held product marketing positions for Amazon Lumberyard and Amazon Game Tech. Erik Mogensen exited Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for digital gaming.
His previous 23‑year career at Games Workshop culminated as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing, giving him deep ties to iconic franchises such as Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons. Ryan Rubin joined Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer.
Rubin’s background includes senior production roles at Netflix (where he helped ship Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset mobile games) and five years at Riot Games working on League of Legends creative development. Andrey Odintsov became Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games after experience as a user‑acquisition manager at Multicast Games and consulting for independent growth projects. Dan Lazarides was named Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments, moving from his previous SVP of Marketing role at Sega Europe.
He succeeds Jo Cooke, who stepped into Frontier’s CEO position earlier this year. Cooke praised Lazarides, saying his leadership will reinforce Frontier’s player‑first strategy and community focus.
Karen Ionescu took the Digital Sales Manager role at Kalypso Media UK, bringing prior sales experience from Numskull Games, Nintendo and Rising Star Games. Managing Director Andrew Johnson highlighted her extensive retail and digital channel relationships. Hannah Barrett earned a promotion to Senior Account Executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right after joining as an account executive in December 2025. Supercell appointed Anni Pyy as Contract Manager; Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore.
Nathan Solbrandt became SVP of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD, after senior account work at Motorica and a VP role at Xsolla for the Americas. Olivia Lee joined Riot Games as Internal Events Producer, building on her prior experience coordinating internal programs. Ciarah Pritchard was hired as Account Coordinator at Xsolla, after serving as an account performance manager at Playback Rewards.
Tracey Thompson returned to Bethesda as Vice President of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009, left in 2019 for EA, and now looks forward to supporting the studio’s flagship franchises. Maddie Richter became Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, moving from a social media role at Alaska Airlines. Dana Duffield joined Yotta Games as a Narrative Designer, after senior narrative work at Series Entertainment.
Yogscast Games announced 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 joined Roblox’s Foundation AI team to support the Build mobile‑first AI creation tool in New Zealand. The duo co‑founded Jars AI in 2023, raising $3.5 million from Google and other investors, and expressed enthusiasm for pushing AI entertainment boundaries. Sathvik Sudireddy became Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games, after product management on Call of Duty at Activision and a business‑development internship at Rockstar.
Joe Chard was appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games, bringing prior experience as VP, Studio General Manager and Head of Product at Jam City, as well as senior roles at Disney and Warner Bros. These moves illustrate the fluid nature of talent within the gaming ecosystem, where seasoned veterans and emerging leaders alike continue to reshape studios, platforms and the experiences they deliver to players worldwide.