Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures in the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel shifts across studios, publishers, and related tech firms. If you know of a change that deserves a mention—whether it’s a new appointment, a transition, or a notable exit—please forward the relevant details (name, new title, new company, previous role and employer) to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
**Ben Board Takes the Helm at The Performance Guys** Former Epic Games executive Ben Board has been installed as chief executive officer of The Performance Guys, the optimisation arm of CodeDev Group. Board’s resume 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 Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios, and BossAlien, giving him a broad perspective on both classic and contemporary game development pipelines. “Myriad experiences—from writing engine scripts to nurturing developer relations on the world’s biggest platforms—make Ben a rare blend of technical authority and business acumen,” said CodeDev Group founder and CEO Myke Parrot.
“Appointing him as CEO sends a crystal‑clear signal: whenever a title suffers from performance bottlenecks on any engine, The Performance Guys have the premier team to resolve them.” **James Turner Returns to Pokémon** James Turner is back at 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, a boutique studio that launched its debut title, *The Plucky Squire*, in September 2024. His return marks a homecoming to the franchise that helped launch his career, and he will now oversee the visual direction of Pokémon’s ever‑expanding universe.
**Billy King Joins Respawn Entertainment** Respawn Entertainment has announced Billy King as its new Lead Concept Artist. King previously headed concept art at ZeniMax Online Studios and served as senior concept artist for Amazon Games, contributing to a range of high‑profile IPs and helping shape the visual language of several live‑service titles. **Additional Appointments Across the Industry** - **Sam Duncombe** becomes Brand Marketing Manager at Team 17 after a product‑management role for games and film at Warner Bros.
Discovery. - **Cansu Karahan Can** steps in as People and Culture Manager for Loom Games, having previously filled the same position at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion).
- **Christopher Wulf** is promoted to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveler, a company he joined in 2021 after a senior role at The Triple‑i Initiative. - **Julie Derhak** takes on a Producer role for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast.
She spent seven years at Epic Games, contributing to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego‑Fortnite crossover. - **Alvaro Menéndez** is named International Social Lead at Mojang Studios, after serving as Senior Marketing Manager for Epic Games in Madrid. - **Linus Johnsson** advances to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments, where he began as a graduate audio designer in 2022. - **Nate Nanzer** departs Epic Games after seven years to become Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games.
He previously held the SVP title for partnerships and monetisation at Epic, and praised the new role as “an irresistible chance to shape the next wave of entertainment at the intersection of games, media, and fandom.” - **Julia Gutnik** is appointed Head of Media at Amazon Gaming. Her background includes leading media, social, and analytics for Kia America, as well as senior digital and ad‑tech positions at Prime Video and Amazon Studios. - **Lorna Antoniazzi** joins Studio MDHR as Art Producer, after producing on Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite at Roarty Digital.
- **Aysu Kutbay** becomes Product Manager at Grand Games, following a similar role at Rollic. - **David Bailey** returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing.
He originally joined the company in 2019, left in 2021 for Sumo Digital, and now looks forward to “helping spearhead new business for licensing” within the Warhammer universe. - **Liana Murphy** steps into the role of Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage, after serving concurrently as COO and Head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing. - **Tim Coombs** is named Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna. He previously directed brand management at Xbox (2020‑2026) and held product‑marketing positions 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 23‑year tenure at Games Workshop included leading business development and consumer‑product licensing. - **Ryan Rubin** joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer, bringing experience from Netflix (senior producer on *Squid Game: Unleashed* and *Selling Sunset*) and a five‑year creative‑development stint at Riot Games on the League of Legends IP. - **Andrey Odintsov** becomes Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games, after user‑acquisition work at Multicast Games and consulting for independent growth projects.
- **Dan Lazarides** is appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Sega Europe and replaces Jo Cooke, who moved into Frontier’s CEO role in January. - **Karen Ionescu** takes the Digital Sales Manager post at Kalypso Media UK, after sales leadership positions at Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games.
- **Hannah Barrett** is promoted to Senior Account Executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right, having joined as an account executive in December 2025. - **Anni Pyy** becomes Contract Manager at Supercell, after four years in the same capacity at Metacore.
- **Nathan Solbrandt** steps into the SVP of Business Development role at fintech platform ZBD, following senior account work at Motorica and a VP stint at Xsolla for the Americas. - **Olivia Lee** is hired as Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, after serving as associate producer for internal events and programs. - **Ciarah Pritchard** joins Xsolla as Account Coordinator, previously working as an account performance manager at Playback Rewards.
- **Tracey Thompson** returns to Bethesda as Vice President of Communications. She 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, after a tenure as Social Media Manager for Alaska Airlines.
- **Dana Duffield** joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer, having previously held a senior narrative designer role at Series Entertainment. - **Yogscast Games** announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR & 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 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 bolster 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, and aim to push the boundaries of AI‑driven entertainment.
- **Sathvik Sudireddy** is hired as Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games, after product‑management work on Call of Duty at Activision and a business‑development internship at Rockstar. - **Joe Chard** becomes Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games, following senior leadership roles at Jam City, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros.
Entertainment. These moves illustrate the dynamic nature of talent flow within the gaming ecosystem, highlighting how seasoned veterans and emerging leaders alike continue to shape the future of interactive entertainment.