Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a real challenge. To make it easier for readers, we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel moves across studios, publishers, and service providers.
If your organization has experienced a change that belongs in this list, please forward the name of the individual, the new title, the company, and the previous role to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. 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. Earlier in his career he held senior positions at Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios, and BossAlien, giving him a broad perspective on both legacy and modern game development pipelines. "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 coding 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." 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 praise for its inventive mechanics and whimsical art style. His return to the Pokémon umbrella signals a renewed focus on cohesive visual direction across the franchise’s expanding portfolio.
Billy King steps into the role of Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment. King previously headed concept work at ZeniMax Online Studios and served as a senior concept artist for Amazon Games, where he contributed to several high‑profile projects. His appointment is expected to strengthen Respawn’s pre‑production pipeline for upcoming titles in the Titanfall and Star Wars universes. Sam Duncombe has been named Brand Marketing Manager for Team17.
Before joining the UK‑based indie publisher, Duncombe worked as Product Manager – Games and Film at Warner Bros. Discovery, where he oversaw cross‑media campaigns for major franchises.
His expertise in both gaming and cinematic promotion should help Team17 broaden its audience reach. Cansu Karahan Can joins Loom Games as People and Culture Manager, after serving in the same capacity at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). Can will be responsible for talent acquisition, employee development, and fostering an inclusive studio environment as Loom expands its portfolio of narrative‑driven experiences. Christopher Wulf receives a promotion to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveler.
Wulf, who entered the company in 2021, previously worked for The Triple‑i Initiative as Senior Business and Event Manager, bringing a strong background in partnership cultivation and event strategy. Julie Derhak is appointed 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, honing her skills in large‑scale live‑service production. Alvaro Menéndez becomes International Social Lead for Mojang Studios. Menéndez previously held the position of Senior Marketing Manager at Epic Games’ Madrid office, where he led community initiatives for titles such as Fortnite and Rocket League.
Linus Johnsson is promoted to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments. Johnsson joined Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer and has since contributed to the soundscapes of several of the studio’s simulation titles. Nate Nanzer departs Epic Games after a seven‑year tenure to assume the role of Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games.
Nanzer’s most recent responsibilities at Epic included serving as SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation. "The scale of the ambition and vision here for what's next is incredibly exciting," Nanzer said. "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 takes over as Head of Media at Amazon Gaming.
Gutnik previously led media, social, and analytics for Kia America, and spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios in senior digital and ad‑tech roles. "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," she explained.
Lorna Antoniazzi is appointed Art Producer at Studio MDHR, having previously produced at Roarty Digital on projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite. Her experience in coordinating art pipelines will support MDHR’s upcoming releases.
Aysu Kutbay becomes Product Manager at Grand Games, after a product‑management stint at Rollic where she oversaw mobile‑first titles and live‑ops strategies. David Bailey returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined Games Workshop in 2019 as Senior Licensing Manager, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now comes back to help steer licensing opportunities across the Warhammer universe.
Liana Murphy is named Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage. Murphy previously held dual roles as COO and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, giving her a strong foundation in agency‑client relations.
Tim Coombs assumes the position of Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna. Coombs was Director of Brand Management at Xbox until July 2026 and earlier served as Product Marketing Manager for Amazon Lumberyard in 2017, followed by senior roles within Amazon Game Tech. Erik Mogensen exits Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for digital gaming. Mogensen spent 23 years at Games Workshop, culminating as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing, and reflected on his career with gratitude for working on beloved brands such as Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering.
Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer. Rubin previously produced two mobile titles for Netflix—Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset—and spent five years at Riot Games working on creative development for the League of Legends franchise. Andrey Odintsov is appointed Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games.
Odintsov previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and currently operates as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for gaming companies. Dan Lazarides becomes Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments, succeeding Jo Cooke after her promotion to CEO. Lazarides formerly served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe. Frontier’s CEO Jo Cooke praised his appointment, noting that his leadership will reinforce the studio’s player‑first strategy and community focus.
Karen Ionescu takes the role of Digital Sales Manager at Kalypso Media UK. Ionescu’s background includes sales positions at Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games, providing a broad perspective on both retail and digital distribution channels.
Hannah Barrett is promoted to Senior Account Executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right, after joining as an Account Executive in December 2025. Supercell names Anni Pyy as Contract Manager; Pyy previously held the same role at Metacore for four years.
Nathan Solbrandt becomes Senior Vice President of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD, after senior account work at Motorica and a vice‑presidential stint at Xsolla for the Americas. Olivia Lee is hired as Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, building on her prior 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, left in 2019 for a head‑of‑product role at Electronic Arts, and now looks forward to supporting iconic franchises across Bethesda and Xbox. Maddie Richter becomes Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, moving from a social media manager role at Alaska Airlines. Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as 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 (previously Junior Producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang as Publishing Coordinator (with past experience as producer, animator, and educator at Team Gramps, Queensguard, and Submarine Art School).
Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger join 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 and raised $3.5 million from Google and other investors, aiming to push the boundaries of AI‑driven entertainment. Sathvik Sudireddy is appointed Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games, after product‑management work on Call of Duty at Activision and an internship in business development 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.