Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. To make it easier for industry observers, we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel moves. If you know of a recent appointment or transition that belongs in this list, please forward the name, new title, new company, as well as the previous role and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
Amir Satvat has taken on the role of General Partner at 1Up Ventures. Before this, he spent several years at Tencent Games where he was the Business Development Director, responsible for forging strategic partnerships and expanding the publisher's reach in key markets.
Satvat also founded and runs Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), an initiative that helps aspiring developers and professionals locate job opportunities within the gaming ecosystem. "I wanted a position where I could see a direct link between my actions and the impact on a team, especially when it comes to getting people back to work," Satvat explained.
"My goal has always been to help turn more people's dreams of creating games into reality. I also wanted to work in an environment that focuses on smaller studios, because I have a genuine passion for indie‑scale projects and a community‑first mindset." He added, "My final wish was to collaborate with colleagues who share the same values and integrity that I hold dear.
Accepting 1Up's invitation feels like all those wishes are finally aligning." Satvat also praised 1Up's role in the broader industry, stating, "1Up is a crucial player in the games ecosystem, and I hope its unique approach to game investing endures for many years to come." Lasse Seppänen announced his exit from Supercell after a seven‑year tenure. He joined the Finnish studio in 2019 as a producer and later advanced to senior positions, including Head of Game Production Services and General Manager of Supercell London.
"Now it's time to return to my passion for creating new game IPs," Seppänen said. "I will stay in the UK, and in 2027 I plan to launch my own studio again—more details will follow when the timing is right." Take‑Two Interactive has named Giles Derrington as Director of Global Affairs for the UK. Derrington previously served as Head of Public Affairs for TikTok in the United Kingdom, where he oversaw government relations and regulatory strategy for the platform.
Jess Pearce earned a promotion at Kepler Interactive, moving up to Senior People Partner. Pearce initially joined Kepler in 2022 as a People Advisor and progressed to People Partner in 2024, playing a key role in talent acquisition and employee development. Shreya Godha has been elevated to Producer at PlaySimple Games after previously holding the Associate Producer title at the same developer. Her new responsibilities include overseeing project timelines, coordinating cross‑functional teams, and ensuring the successful launch of new titles.
Epic Games appointed Kelly Ekins as Director of Communications. Ekins comes from Unity, where she was Senior Director of Global PR for the Games and Made with Unity program.
Prior to that, she joined Unity in 2018 as Marketing Lead for Media and Entertainment after a stint at Warner Brothers Games Montreal as Studio Lead for Game Marketing and Communications. Housemarque co‑founder and Managing Director Ilari Kuittinen stepped down after an impressive 31‑year run.
Kuittinen co‑founded Housemarque with Harri Tikkanen in 1995 following the merger of their respective studios, Bloodhouse and Terramarque. "Looking back, I feel immensely fortunate," Kuittinen reflected.
"We were in the right place at the right time during three decades of extraordinary industry growth, which allowed us to stay fiercely independent for 26 years before joining the PlayStation Studios family." He continued, "We have planned this leadership transition carefully behind the scenes. On July 1, Sami 'Haxu' Hakala officially assumed the Managing Director role, and I have continued supporting him and the leadership team until today to ensure seamless operational continuity. Housemarque’s strategy and creative vision are now in excellent hands." Tamara Feiman has been appointed CEO of Lion Studios, the publishing arm of Tripledot Studios. Feiman previously served as Publishing General Manager and began her career at Lion Studios in 2020 as the EMEA Business Development Lead.
"I joined Lion six years ago," Feiman said. "Since then, I've had the privilege of growing alongside the company through its biggest successes, challenges, and transformations.
What makes Lion special is how we collaborate with our partner studios. Together we take risks, learn quickly, and turn great ideas into games played by millions." Feiman emphasized the collective nature of Lion’s achievements: "Lion has never been about one person. I'm fortunate to work alongside an incredible team across publishing, growth, product, engineering, and market intelligence, as well as our talented studio partners worldwide." Heather Sangria has joined Sega of America as Community Manager.
Prior to Sega, Sangria worked as a contract Social Strategist and Community Lead at One More Game and held a digital strategy and community management role at Undead Labs. Emily Rose Chen received a promotion at Activision Blizzard, becoming Senior Product Manager for the Call of Duty franchise. Chen originally joined the company in 2020 as a Financial Analyst, later transitioning to Product Manager before earning her current senior title. Scot McCarron was also promoted within Activision Blizzard, now serving as Senior Director of Product Management for Call of Duty.
McCarron started at Activision in 2018 as Product Marketing Manager for emerging franchises and later became Director of Product Management for the Call of Duty series. These moves illustrate the dynamic nature of talent flow in the games industry, where seasoned veterans and emerging leaders alike continue to shape the future of interactive entertainment.
The constant reshuffling of expertise not only reflects personal career growth but also signals strategic shifts within companies as they adapt to evolving market demands, emerging technologies, and the ever‑changing preferences of gamers worldwide.