Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a real challenge, which is why we put together periodic round‑ups that capture the most noteworthy moves. If your organisation has recent staffing changes that belong in this list, please forward the name, new title, company, and previous position 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 joined Epic in 2017 as a developer‑support manager, later becoming business‑development director for the Epic Game Store and Unreal Engine.
His résumé also includes senior leadership stints at Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios, and BossAlien. "Ben is a true heavyweight in the industry, with a reputation and technical authority that speak for themselves," said CodeDev Group founder Myke Parrot.
"He knows game development from every angle – from writing engine scripts to managing developer relations for the world’s biggest platforms. Appointing Ben as CEO sends a clear signal: if your title is suffering on any engine, we have the best team on the planet to fix it." **James Turner returns to The Pokémon Company International** James Turner is back at The Pokémon Company International as Creative Director of Pokémon Art and Design.
After leaving Game Freak in 2022, Turner co‑founded All Possible Futures with Jonathan Biddle, a studio that released its debut title, *The Plucky Squire*, in September 2024. His return marks a homecoming to the brand he helped shape for years. **Billy King joins Respawn Entertainment** Respawn Entertainment has announced Billy King as its new Lead Concept Artist.
King previously led concept work at ZeniMax Online Studios and served as a senior concept artist for Amazon Games, bringing a wealth of experience in crafting visual identities for large‑scale projects. **Additional appointments across the industry** - Sam Duncombe becomes Brand Marketing Manager at Team 17, after a product‑management role for games and film at Warner Bros.
Discovery. - Cansu Karahan Can steps in as People and Culture Manager at Loom Games, having previously held the same title at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion). - Christopher Wulf is promoted to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveler, where he has worked since 2021 following a senior business‑and‑event role at The Triple‑i Initiative.
- Julie Derhak takes on the role of Producer for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. She spent seven years at Epic Games, contributing to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego Fortnite collaboration. - Alvaro Menéndez becomes International Social Lead at Mojang Studios after serving as Senior Marketing Manager for Epic Games in Madrid.
- Linus Johnsson is elevated to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments, having joined the studio in 2022 as a graduate audio designer. - Nate Nanzer departs Epic Games after a seven‑year tenure to become EVP, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. His most recent Epic role was SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation.
"The scale of ambition here is incredibly exciting," Nanzer said, adding that he is grateful for his time at Epic and will cheer the team from the sidelines. - Julia Gutnik is appointed Head of Media at Amazon Gaming. Previously she led media, social, and analytics at Kia America and spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios overseeing digital and ad‑tech media. - Lorna Antoniazzi joins Studio MDHR as Art Producer, after producing at Roarty Digital on projects such as Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite.
- Aysu Kutbay becomes Product Manager at Grand Games, coming from a product‑management position at Rollic. - David Bailey returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. He originally joined Games Workshop in 2019, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now says, "It's a privilege to return to the vast Warhammer universes and help spearhead new licensing opportunities." - Liana Murphy is named Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage, after simultaneously serving as COO and Head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing. - Tim Coombs takes charge of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna.
He previously directed brand management at Xbox (2020‑2026) and held product‑marketing roles 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.
He spent 23 years at Games Workshop, most recently as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing. - Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer. His background includes senior production work at Netflix on mobile titles *Squid Game: Unleashed* and *Selling Sunset*, as well as five years at Riot Games on League of Legends creative development.
- Andrey Odintsov becomes Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games, after user‑acquisition work at Multicast Games and independent consulting. - Dan Lazarides is appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments, following a senior VP marketing stint at Sega Europe.
He replaces Jo Cooke, who moved to the CEO role earlier this year. Frontier CEO Jo Cooke praised Lazarides, noting his experience with major IPs and his focus on a player‑first strategy. - Karen Ionescu takes the Digital Sales Manager role at Kalypso Media UK, bringing experience from Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games.
Managing Director Andrew Johnson highlighted her extensive retail and digital channel relationships. - 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; she previously held the same position at Metacore for four years. - Nathan Solbrandt becomes SVP of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD, after senior account work at Motorica and a VP role at Xsolla for the Americas.
- Olivia Lee is hired as Internal Events Producer at Riot Games, building on her prior associate‑producer experience for internal programs. - Ciarah Pritchard joins Xsolla as Account Coordinator, after serving as Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards. - Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as VP of Communications. She originally joined Bethesda in 2009, left for EA in 2019, and now looks forward to supporting iconic franchises across Bethesda and Xbox.
- Maddie Richter becomes Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America, after a stint as Social Media Manager for Alaska Airlines. - Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer, following a senior narrative role at Series Entertainment.
- Yogscast Games announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR & Influencer Manager, formerly Creator & Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, previously Junior Producer at Atelier 11) and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator, with a background as producer, animator, and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, plus teaching experience at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone). - Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger join Roblox’s Foundation AI team to support the mobile‑first AI creation tool Build in New Zealand.
The duo co‑founded Jars AI in 2023, raising $3.5 million from Google and other investors, and are eager to push AI entertainment boundaries. - Sathvik Sudireddy becomes Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games, after product‑management work on Call of Duty at Activision and a business‑development internship at Rockstar. - Joe Chard is appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games, bringing experience as VP, Studio General Manager, and Head of Product at Jam City, as well as senior roles at Disney and Warner Bros. These moves illustrate the fluid nature of talent within the gaming ecosystem, where seasoned veterans often shift between major publishers, indie studios, and emerging tech companies, carrying with them deep expertise and fresh perspectives that continue to shape the industry's evolution.