Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the gaming sector can be a daunting task. To make it easier for industry professionals, 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, and previous role/company to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Amir Satvat has taken on the role of General Partner at 1Up Ventures.
Prior to this, he was the Business Development Director at Tencent Games, where he oversaw partnership strategy and growth initiatives. Satvat also founded and runs Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), a platform dedicated to helping job‑seekers find opportunities within the games industry. "I wanted a more immediate link between the actions I could take 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 was also drawn to the idea of working with smaller studios, which I love, in an environment that puts community first." He continued, "My final wish was to collaborate with colleagues who share the same values and integrity that I strive for. Accepting 1Up’s invitation feels like all those wishes are coming together." Satvat added, "1Up plays a crucial role in the broader games ecosystem, and I hope its distinctive approach to investing in games endures for as long as possible." Lasse Seppänen announced his exit from Supercell after a seven‑year tenure.
He joined the Finnish publisher in 2019 as a producer and later held 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’ll stay in the UK, and in 2027 I plan to launch my own studio again—more details when the timing is right." Take‑Two Interactive has appointed Giles Derrington as Director of Global Affairs for the UK. Derrington previously served as Head of Public Affairs UK at TikTok, where he managed regulatory and policy engagement across the region.
Jess Pearce earned a promotion to Senior People Partner at Kepler Interactive. Pearce originally joined Kepler in 2022 as a People Advisor and moved into the People Partner role in 2024, focusing on talent acquisition and employee development. Shreya Godha was elevated to Producer at PlaySimple Games after serving as Associate Producer. In her new capacity, Godha will oversee project timelines, coordinate cross‑functional teams, and help drive the studio’s mobile‑gaming portfolio.
Epic Games named 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. Her earlier experience includes a stint as Marketing Lead for Media and Entertainment at Unity (starting in 2018) and a previous role as Studio Lead for Game Marketing and Communications at Warner Brothers Games Montreal.
Housemarque co‑founder and Managing Director Ilari Kuittinen stepped down after a 31‑year career with the studio. Kuittinen co‑founded Housemarque in 1995 alongside Harri Tikkanen after merging their companies 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 added, "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 to ensure seamless operational continuity. Housemarque’s strategy and creative vision are in excellent hands." Tamara Feiman was appointed CEO of Lion Studios, the publishing arm of Tripledot Studios.
Feiman began her career at Lion in 2020 as EMEA Business Development Lead and later became Publishing General Manager. "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’ve taken risks, learned quickly, and turned great ideas into games enjoyed by millions." "Lion has never been about any single individual. I’m fortunate to work with an incredible team across publishing, growth, product, engineering, and market intelligence, as well as our talented studio partners worldwide," she added. Heather Sangria has become Community Manager for Sega of America.
Prior to this, she 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 to Senior Product Manager for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard. Chen originally joined the company as a Financial Analyst in 2020, later moving into product management before earning this senior title.
Scot McCarron was promoted to Senior Director of Product Management for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard. McCarron first joined Activision in 2018 as Product Marketing Manager for emerging franchises and later served as Director of Product Management on the Call of Duty franchise before his latest promotion. These moves illustrate the dynamic nature of talent flow within the gaming industry, highlighting both the emergence of new leaders and the continued evolution of established studios.
The round‑up serves as a snapshot of how individuals are shaping the future of interactive entertainment through strategic hires, internal growth, and entrepreneurial ventures.