Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions and departures across the games sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that collect the most noteworthy moves in one place. If you have a staffing change you think belongs in this list, please forward the name, new title, company, and previous role to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
In a significant appointment, former Epic Games executive Ben Board has taken the helm as chief executive 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 storied studios such as Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios and BossAlien, giving him a breadth of experience that spans both classic and modern game development pipelines. “Myriad colleagues know Ben as a true heavyweight in the industry; his technical credibility speaks for itself,” said Myke Parrot, CEO of CodeDev Group.
“He has seen 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: when a title suffers from performance bottlenecks on any engine, we have the premier team to resolve them.” James Turner has rejoined The Pokémon Company International, stepping into the role of creative director for 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 mechanics and charming aesthetics. His return to the Pokémon umbrella brings a fresh perspective rooted in both indie experimentation and mainstream franchise stewardship.
Billy King has been named lead concept artist at Respawn Entertainment. King previously led concept teams at ZeniMax Online Studios and served as senior concept artist for Amazon Games, contributing to a range of high‑profile projects and refining a visual style that blends realism with stylised flair. Sam Duncombe moves to Team17 as brand marketing manager after a tenure as product manager for games and film at Warner Bros. Discovery.
In his new capacity he will oversee brand strategy, community outreach and cross‑media initiatives for the iconic UK publisher. Cansu Karahan Can joins Loom Games as people and culture manager, bringing experience from a similar role at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion).
She will be responsible for talent acquisition, employee development and fostering an inclusive studio environment. Christopher Wulf has been promoted to senior business‑development manager at Fellow Traveller.
Wulf, who entered the company in 2021, previously worked for The Triple‑i Initiative as senior business and event manager, and will now focus on expanding the studio’s partnership network and revenue streams. Julie Derhak becomes a producer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. Derhak spent seven years at Epic Games, where she contributed to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego‑Fortnite collaboration, gaining deep expertise in live‑service production and cross‑brand integration. Alvaro Menéndez is appointed international social lead at Mojang Studios.
Prior to this, he served as senior marketing manager for Epic Games in Madrid, overseeing community programs and global social campaigns for titles such as Fortnite and Rocket League. Linus Johnsson advances to senior audio designer at Frontier Developments. Having joined Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer, Johnsson has contributed to the soundscapes of several high‑profile releases and now leads a team responsible for immersive audio implementation across the studio’s portfolio. After seven years at Epic Games, Nate Nanzer departs to become executive vice‑president and head of commercial & marketing at Paramount Games.
Nanzer’s most recent Epic role was senior vice‑president of partnerships and monetisation. “The ambition and vision for what’s next at Paramount is incredibly exciting,” he said. “I’ve spent my career at the intersection of games, entertainment and fandom, and the chance to help shape the next chapter was simply too compelling to pass up.” Julia Gutnik takes the reins as head of media at Amazon Gaming.
Gutnik previously led media, social and analytics for Kia America and spent over six years within Amazon’s Prime Video and Studios divisions, where she managed digital and ad‑tech media strategies. Lorna Antoniazzi joins Studio MDHR as art producer after a spell at Roarty Digital, where she contributed to Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite.
In her new role she will coordinate art pipelines, oversee asset quality and liaise between creative leads and production teams. Aysu Kutbay becomes product manager at Grand Games, moving from a similar position at Rollic where she helped launch several successful mobile titles. David Bailey returns to Games Workshop as lead commercial manager – licensing.
Bailey first joined the company in 2019 as senior licensing manager, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now comes back to help drive new licensing opportunities across the expansive Warhammer universe. Liana Murphy is appointed account director for US operations at Second Stage. Murphy previously held dual responsibilities as COO and head of public relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, giving her a strong background in agency‑client relations and operational leadership.
Tim Coombs becomes head of brand marketing for Amazon Luna. Before this, Coombs served as director of brand management at Xbox until July 2026, having joined the console maker in 2020 as senior manager for brand strategy.
He also held product‑marketing roles for Amazon Lumberyard and Amazon Game Tech. Erik Mogensen leaves Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as senior director of business development for digital gaming. Mogensen’s earlier 23‑year tenure at Games Workshop culminated in a role as head of business development and consumer‑product licensing, where he oversaw collaborations for Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as senior producer. Rubin’s previous experience includes senior production roles at Netflix (where he shipped mobile titles Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset) and a five‑year stint at Riot Games working on creative development for the League of Legends franchise. Andrey Odintsov is named head of marketing at Battlestate Games. Odintsov previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and now works as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various gaming projects.
Dan Lazarides steps into the chief‑marketing‑officer position at Frontier Developments. Lazarides most recently served as senior vice‑president of marketing at Sega Europe and replaces Jo Cooke, who moved to Frontier’s CEO role in January. Cooke praised Lazarides, noting his experience with large IPs and his focus on a player‑first strategy. Karen Ionescu becomes digital sales manager at Kalypso Media UK after roles at Numskull Games, Nintendo and Rising Star Games.
Managing director Andrew Johnson highlighted her extensive commercial experience and strong relationships across retail and digital channels. 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. Supercell appoints Anni Pyy as contract manager; Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore.
Nathan Solbrandt takes the role of senior‑vice‑president of business development at fintech platform ZBD, after senior account work at Motorica and a vice‑president position at Xsolla for the Americas. Olivia Lee becomes internal events producer at Riot Games, building on her experience 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, later moved to Electronic Arts in 2019, and now looks forward to supporting the studio’s flagship franchises alongside Xbox. Maddie Richter is named social‑media marketing manager at Nintendo of America, transitioning from a social‑media manager role at Alaska Airlines.
Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as a narrative designer, after senior narrative work at Series Entertainment. Yogscast Games announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis as PR and influencer manager (formerly creator and community director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney as production coordinator (previous junior producer at Atelier 11) and Charlotte Pang as publishing coordinator (formerly producer, animator and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, and instructor 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 becomes marketing manager, live services at Rockstar Games, after product‑manager experience on Call of Duty at Activision and an internship in business development at Rockstar. Joe Chard is appointed lead product manager at Netflix Games, bringing a background that includes vice‑president, studio general manager and head of product at Jam City, as well as senior roles at Disney and Warner Bros.
These appointments, promotions and departures illustrate the dynamic nature of talent movement within the interactive entertainment industry, underscoring how studios continually seek fresh leadership and expertise to drive innovation, improve performance and expand their global reach.