Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the games sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we gather the most noteworthy personnel moves into periodic round‑ups for easy reference. If your studio has recent appointments or role changes that you think belong in this list, please forward the name, new title, company, and previous position 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 first joined Epic in 2017 as a developer support manager, later taking on the role of business development director for both the Epic Game Store and Unreal Engine. His résumé also includes senior leadership stints at Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios, and BossAlien. "Ben is a true industry heavy‑hitter whose reputation and technical authority speak for themselves," said CodeDev Group CEO 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." In other news, 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 received critical praise for its inventive mechanics and whimsical art style. His return to the Pokémon franchise is being welcomed by fans who appreciate his distinctive visual sensibility. Respawn Entertainment announced that Billy King will serve as its new Lead Concept Artist. King arrives from ZeniMax Online Studios, where he headed concept art, and previously held a senior concept role at Amazon Games.
His portfolio includes work on large‑scale sci‑fi shooters and fantasy RPGs, making him a strong fit for Respawn’s upcoming titles. Team17 has hired Sam Duncombe as Brand Marketing Manager. Duncombe previously oversaw product and film initiatives at Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing a cross‑media perspective that should help Team17 strengthen its brand presence across both console and streaming platforms.
Loom Games welcomed Cansu Karahan Can as People and Culture Manager. Can’s earlier experience includes a similar role at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion), where she helped build inclusive workplace programs and talent development pipelines.
Fellow Traveler promoted Christopher Wulf to Senior Business Development Manager. Wulf, who joined the company in 2021, previously served as senior business and event manager for The Triple‑i Initiative, giving him a solid background in partnership cultivation and event coordination.
Wizards of the Coast added Julie Derhak to its roster as a Producer for Dungeons & Dragons. Derhak spent seven years at Epic Games, contributing to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego‑Fortnite collaboration, experience that should prove valuable as Wizards expands its digital tabletop offerings. Mojang Studios named Alvaro Menéndez International Social Lead.
Menéndez comes from Epic Games Madrid, where he was senior marketing manager, and will now oversee global community initiatives for Minecraft and related IPs. Frontier Developments promoted Linus Johnsson to Senior Audio Designer. Johnsson started at Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer and has since contributed to the soundscapes of several of the studio’s simulation titles.
After seven years at Epic Games, Nate Nanzer departed to become EVP, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. Nanzer’s most recent Epic role was SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation.
He explained, "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." Amazon Gaming appointed Julia Gutnik as Head of Media.
Gutnik previously led media, social, and analytics for Kia America and spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she managed digital and ad‑tech media operations. She remarked, "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." Studio MDHR announced Lorna Antoniazzi as Art Producer. Antoniazzi’s prior role was producer at Roarty Digital, where she contributed to Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite projects.
Grand Games hired Aysu Kutbay as Product Manager; Kutbay previously worked at Rollic in the same capacity. Games Workshop welcomed back David Bailey as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined Games Workshop in 2019, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now returns saying, "It's a privilege to return to the vast and evergreen Warhammer universes to help spearhead new business for licensing here." Second Stage appointed Liana Murphy as Account Director, US Operations.
Murphy most recently held the dual roles of COO and Head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing. Amazon Luna named Tim Coombs Head of Brand Marketing. Coombs previously 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 earlier 23‑year tenure at Games Workshop culminated as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing.
Blizzard Entertainment added Ryan Rubin as Senior Producer. Rubin’s background includes senior production work on Netflix mobile titles Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset, as well as five years at Riot Games on League of Legends creative development. Battlestate Games appointed Andrey Odintsov as Head of Marketing. Odintsov previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and now operates as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant.
Frontier Developments announced Dan Lazarides as Chief Marketing Officer. Lazarides formerly served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe and succeeds Jo Cooke, who moved to the CEO role earlier this year. Cooke praised Lazarides, noting his experience with major IPs and his focus on a player‑first strategy.
Kalypso Media UK hired Karen Ionescu as Digital Sales Manager. Ionescu brings experience from Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games, and Managing Director Andrew Johnson said her retail and digital expertise will be a strong addition. Swipe Right promoted Hannah Barrett to Senior Account Executive.
Barrett joined the esports and gaming communications agency in December 2025 as an account executive. Supercell named Anni Pyy as Contract Manager; Pyy previously held the same position at Metacore for four years.
Fintech platform ZBD appointed Nathan Solbrandt as SVP of Business Development. Solbrandt’s prior roles include senior account executive at Motorica and VP of Business Development for the Americas at Xsolla. Riot Games added Olivia Lee as Internal Events Producer, after serving as associate producer for internal events and programs. Xsolla welcomed Ciarah Pritchard as Account Coordinator; she formerly worked as an account performance manager at Playback Rewards.
Bethesda reinstated Tracey Thompson as VP of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009, left for EA in 2019, and now returns to oversee communications for flagship franchises. Nintendo of America appointed Maddie Richter as Social Media Marketing Manager. Richter previously managed social channels for Alaska Airlines.
Yotta Games hired narrative designer Dana Duffield, who came from a senior narrative role 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). Roblox’s Foundation AI team welcomed Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger to support the mobile‑first AI creation tool Build in New Zealand. The duo co‑founded Jars AI in 2023, securing $3.5 million from Google and other investors, and expressed excitement about pushing AI entertainment boundaries.
Rockstar Games added Sathvik Sudireddy as Marketing Manager, Live Services. Sudireddy previously managed product on Call of Duty at Activision after an internship in business development. Netflix Games appointed Joe Chard as Lead Product Manager.
Chard’s résumé includes a VP role, studio general manager, and head of product at Jam City, plus senior positions at Disney and Warner Bros. Entertainment.