Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy personnel moves across the industry. If you know of any recent appointments or transitions that belong 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.
Prior to this, he was the Business Development Director at Tencent Games, where he oversaw strategic partnerships and market expansion initiatives. Satvat also founded and runs Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), an organization dedicated to helping job seekers find positions within the gaming world.
"I wanted a role where the impact of my work could be felt more directly, where I could help get people back to work on the projects they love," Satvat explained. "I wanted to help turn more developers' dreams of making games into reality. I also hoped to work in an environment that focuses on smaller studios, because I have a deep affection for that scale of development, and in a community‑first culture." He continued, "My final wish was to collaborate with colleagues who share the same values and integrity that I strive for. By accepting 1Up’s invitation, I feel all of those aspirations are coming together." Satvat added that he sees 1Up as a crucial player in the broader games ecosystem and expressed a desire to see the firm’s distinctive investment philosophy endure for as long as possible.
Lasse Seppänen announced his departure from Supercell after a seven‑year tenure. He joined the company in 2019 as a producer and later held senior positions such as Head of Game Production Services and General Manager of Supercell London. "Now it’s time to return to my passion for creating new IPs," Seppänen said.
He plans to stay in the United Kingdom and aims to launch his own studio in 2027, promising to share more details 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, bringing extensive experience in regulatory and stakeholder engagement to his new role. At Kepler Interactive, Jess Pearce received a promotion to Senior People Partner.
Pearce originally joined Kepler in 2022 as a People Advisor and advanced to People Partner in 2024 before earning the senior title. Shreya Godha was promoted to Producer at PlaySimple Games, moving up from her previous position as Associate Producer within the same studio. Epic Games appointed Kelly Ekins as Director of Communications. Ekins comes from Unity, where she held the position of Senior Director of Global PR for the Games and Made with Unity program.
Before that, she joined Unity in 2018 as Marketing Lead for Media and Entertainment after spending time at Warner Brothers Games Montreal as Studio Lead for Game Marketing and Communications. Ilari Kuittinen, co‑founder and Managing Director of Housemarque, stepped down after 31 years with the studio. Kuittinen co‑founded Housemarque in 1995 alongside Harri Tikkanen following the merger of their companies Bloodhouse and Terramarque. Reflecting on his career, Kuittinen said, "Looking back, I feel immensely fortunate.
We were in the right place at the right time for three decades of remarkable industry growth, which allowed us to stay fiercely independent for 26 years before joining the PlayStation Studios family." He added, "We have carefully planned this leadership transition behind the scenes. On July 1, Sami ‘Haxu’ Hakala officially assumed the Managing Director role, and I have continued to support him and the leadership team to ensure operational continuity and stability. 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 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." She emphasized that Lion’s achievements are a team effort: "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 joined Sega of America as Community Manager. 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 and later moved into product management before earning the senior title. Scot McCarron was elevated to Senior Director of Product Management for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard.
McCarron has been with Activision since 2018, initially serving as Product Marketing Manager for emerging franchises before progressing to Director of Product Management on the Call of Duty franchise. These announcements highlight the dynamic nature of talent movement within the gaming industry, reflecting both personal career aspirations and the evolving strategic priorities of leading companies.