Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures in the video‑game sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we publish regular round‑ups that capture the most notable personnel moves across studios, publishers, and service providers. If you have a newsworthy appointment or transition in your organization, feel free to email the details—name, new title, company, and previous role—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 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. Prior to his Epic tenure, he held senior positions at iconic UK studios such as Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios, and BossAlien, giving him a rare blend of technical depth and commercial savvy. "Ben is a true industry heavyweight whose reputation and technical authority speak for themselves," said CodeDev Group founder and 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." Board’s appointment signals CodeDev’s intent to double down on performance optimisation, an area that has become increasingly critical as games push higher frame‑rates, ray‑tracing, and larger open worlds. Under his leadership, The Performance Guys is expected to broaden its service offering, deepen partnerships with engine providers, and expand its consultancy footprint across both AAA and indie projects. **James Turner Returns to Pokémon Company International** 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; the studio’s debut title, *The Plucky Squire*, launched in September 2024 and earned praise for its inventive storytelling and hand‑drawn aesthetic. In his new role, Turner will oversee the visual direction of Pokémon across games, merchandise, and media, ensuring the brand’s iconic style continues to evolve while staying true to its heritage.
His experience running a small indie studio and his deep roots in the Pokémon ecosystem make him a strong fit for steering the franchise’s artistic future. **Billy King Becomes Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment** Respawn Entertainment has appointed Billy King as its lead concept artist.
King arrives from ZeniMax Online Studios, where he led concept work, and previously served as senior concept artist at Amazon Games. Known for his ability to blend gritty realism with stylised fantasy, King’s portfolio includes work on large‑scale shooters and narrative‑driven titles.
At Respawn, he will help shape the visual language of upcoming entries in the *Titanfall* and *Star Wars* universes, as well as any new IP the studio may launch. **Additional Highlights from the August 2026 Round‑Up** - **Sam Duncombe** steps into the role of brand‑marketing manager at Team 17, bringing experience from Warner Bros. Discovery where he oversaw games‑and‑film product strategy.
- **Cansu Karahan Can** joins Loom Games as people‑and‑culture manager after a similar tenure at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). - **Christopher Wulf** is promoted to senior business‑development manager at Fellow Traveler, having joined the firm in 2021 and previously working for The Triple‑i Initiative. - **Julie Derhak** becomes a producer for *Dungeons & Dragons* at Wizards of the Coast after seven years at Epic Games where she contributed to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego Fortnite collaboration.
- **Alvaro Menéndez** takes the post of international social lead at Mojang Studios, moving from a senior marketing manager role at Epic Games Madrid. - **Linus Johnsson** is promoted to senior audio designer at Frontier Developments, having risen from graduate audio designer since joining in 2022.
- **Nate Nanzer** departs Epic Games after a seven‑year stint to become EVP, head of commercial & marketing at Paramount Games. Nanzer, who most recently served as SVP of partnerships and monetisation, said, "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." - **Julia Gutnik** is named head of media at Amazon Gaming after leading media, social, and analytics for Kia America and spending six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios. - **Lorna Antoniazzi** joins Studio MDHR as art producer, previously producing at Roarty Digital on titles like *Fortnite Battle Royale* and *Lego Fortnite*.
- **Aysu Kutbay** becomes product manager at Grand Games, moving from a similar role at Rollic. - **David Bailey** returns to Games Workshop as lead commercial manager – licensing, after a period as director of business affairs at Sumo Digital.
- **Liana Murphy** is appointed account director, US operations at Second Stage, after serving concurrently as COO and head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing. - **Tim Coombs** assumes head of brand marketing for Amazon Luna, having previously directed brand management at Xbox and led product marketing 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, following a 23‑year career at Games Workshop. - **Ryan Rubin** joins Blizzard Entertainment as senior producer, after producing mobile titles *Squid Game: Unleashed* and *Selling Sunset* at Netflix and five years at Riot Games.
- **Andrey Odintsov** becomes head of marketing at Battlestate Games, after user‑acquisition work at Multicast Games and consulting for independent developers. - **Dan Lazarides** is appointed chief marketing officer at Frontier Developments, moving from senior VP of marketing at Sega Europe and succeeding Jo Cooke, who is now Frontier’s CEO.
- **Karen Ionescu** takes the digital sales manager role at Kalypso Media UK, bringing experience from Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games. - **Hannah Barrett** is promoted to senior account executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right. - **Anni Pyy** becomes contract manager at Supercell, after four years in the same capacity at Metacore. - **Nathan Solbrandt** is named SVP of business development at fintech platform ZBD, previously a senior account executive at Motorica and VP of business development for the Americas at Xsolla.
- **Olivia Lee** joins Riot Games as internal events producer, having coordinated internal programs previously. - **Ciarah Pritchard** becomes account coordinator at Xsolla after serving as account performance manager at Playback Rewards. - **Tracey Thompson** returns to Bethesda as VP of communications, originally joining Bethesda in 2009 and later heading communications at Electronic Arts.
- **Maddie Richter** is appointed social media marketing manager at Nintendo of America, after a stint at Alaska Airlines. - **Dana Duffield** joins Yotta Games as narrative designer, previously senior narrative designer at Series Entertainment. - **Yogscast Games** announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR & influencer manager), Robin Mawhinney (production coordinator), and Charlotte Pang (publishing coordinator), each bringing experience from agencies and indie studios.
- **Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger** join Roblox’s Foundation AI team to support the mobile‑first AI creation tool Build in New Zealand, after co‑founding Jars AI and raising $3.5 million from Google and other investors. - **Sathvik Sudireddy** becomes marketing manager, live services at Rockstar Games, after product management on *Call of Duty* at Activision. - **Joe Chard** is appointed lead product manager at Netflix Games, following senior leadership roles at Jam City, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Entertainment.
These movements illustrate the fluid nature of talent in the interactive entertainment industry, where seasoned veterans often shift between major publishers, indie studios, and emerging tech ventures. Such cross‑pollination fuels innovation, spreads best practices, and keeps the ecosystem vibrant. For companies seeking to attract top talent, the trends highlighted here—emphasis on performance optimisation, AI integration, and cross‑platform brand strategy—offer a roadmap for where the industry’s focus is headed in the coming years.