Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the games sector can be a daunting task. To make life easier for industry observers, we regularly compile the most noteworthy personnel movements into concise round‑ups. If you know of any recent appointments or role changes that belong in this list, please forward the relevant details—name, new title, new company, plus previous position and employer—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 first joined Epic in 2017 as a developer‑support manager, later advancing to 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, giving him a breadth of experience across both indie and AAA environments. "Ben is a true industry heavyweight whose reputation and technical authority speak for themselves," said Myke Parrot, CEO of CodeDev Group. "He understands game development from every angle – from writing 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 re‑joined 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 earned praise for its inventive mechanics and whimsical art direction. His return to the Pokémon franchise signals a renewed focus on visual storytelling and brand consistency across games, merchandise, and media. Billy King has been promoted to Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment.
King previously held the same senior role at ZeniMax Online Studios and served as a senior concept artist for Amazon Games, where he contributed to several high‑profile titles. His portfolio, noted for its strong sense of scale and narrative cohesion, is expected to bolster Respawn’s upcoming projects, including the next installment of the Apex Legends universe. Sam Duncombe moves into the role of Brand Marketing Manager at Team 17. Before joining the UK‑based publisher, Duncombe was Product Manager – Games and Film at Warner Bros.
Discovery, where he oversaw cross‑platform marketing campaigns for blockbuster franchises. At Team 17, he will be responsible for shaping the public perception of classic IPs such as Worms while also championing new indie releases. Cansu Karahan Can has taken the position of People and Culture Manager at Loom Games.
Can previously performed the same duties at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion), where she helped build a supportive workplace culture for a fast‑growing studio. Her expertise in talent development and employee engagement will be instrumental as Loom expands its roster of experimental titles.
Christopher Wulf has been elevated to Senior Business Development Manager at Fellow Traveler. Wulf, who joined Fellow Traveler in 2021, previously worked for The Triple‑i Initiative as Senior Business and Event Manager, overseeing partnerships across Europe and Asia. His promotion reflects the company’s ambition to broaden its portfolio of narrative‑driven adventure games.
Julie Derhak is now a 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. At Wizards, she will manage the development pipelines for upcoming tabletop‑to‑digital adaptations. Alvaro Menéndez has become International Social Lead at Mojang Studios.
Menéndez previously served as Senior Marketing Manager for Epic Games in Madrid, where he directed global community initiatives for titles such as Fortnite and Rocket League. At Mojang, he will oversee worldwide social‑media strategy for Minecraft and its expanding ecosystem of spin‑offs. Linus Johnsson was promoted to Senior Audio Designer at Frontier Developments. Johnsson first joined Frontier in 2022 as a graduate audio designer and quickly progressed to a full‑time role, contributing to the soundscapes of titles like Elite Dangerous and Planet Coaster.
His promotion acknowledges his growing influence on the studio’s auditory identity. 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 position at Epic was Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Monetisation.
He praised his former colleagues, stating, "The scale of the ambition and vision here for what's next is incredibly exciting. 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 has been named 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, where she headed digital and ad‑tech media operations.
She remarked, "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." Lorna Antoniazzi joins Studio MDHR as Art Producer. Antoniazzi came from Roarty Digital, where she worked on Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite, gaining experience in large‑scale art pipelines and cross‑functional collaboration. Aysu Kutbay is now Product Manager at Grand Games, after previously serving in the same capacity at Rollic, where she helped launch several successful mobile titles across the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
David Bailey returns to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey first joined the company in 2019 as Senior Licensing Manager, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now comes back to help steer licensing for the ever‑expanding Warhammer universes. He said, "It's a privilege to return to the vast and evergreen Warhammer universes to help spearhead new business for licensing here.
It's an incredible opportunity and it's great to be back in the fold working alongside great people." Liana Murphy has been appointed Account Director, US Operations at Second Stage. Murphy previously held dual responsibilities as COO and Head of Public Relations at Vicariously and V Publishing, giving her a strong background in both operational leadership and external communications. Tim Coombs takes the helm as Head of Brand Marketing for Amazon Luna. Coombs spent the previous six years at Xbox, rising from Senior Manager for Brand Strategy to Director of Brand Management before leaving in July 2026.
Earlier in his career he served as Product Marketing Manager for Amazon Lumberyard (2017) and senior product marketing lead for Amazon Game Tech (until 2020). Erik Mogensen exits Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for Digital Gaming. Mogensen’s earlier 23‑year stint at Games Workshop culminated in a role as Head of Business Development and Consumer Product Licensing, where he oversaw collaborations for Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and Transformers. He reflected, "It's not lost on me how special it's been to have worked on, and for, my favourite brands.
First Warhammer, and most recently Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Transformers… the list goes on. I'm very much looking forward to my next chapter, whatever and wherever that may be." Ryan Rubin joins Blizzard Entertainment as Senior Producer.
Rubin previously led senior production on Netflix’s mobile titles Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset, and spent five years at Riot Games working on creative development for the League of Legends IP. His experience in live‑service and narrative integration will support Blizzard’s expanding portfolio of cross‑platform experiences.
Andrey Odintsov becomes Head of Marketing at Battlestate Games. Odintsov previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and now works as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant for various game studios, bringing a data‑driven approach to player acquisition. Dan Lazarides has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Frontier Developments.
Lazarides previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Sega Europe and succeeded Jo Cooke after her promotion to Frontier CEO in January. Cooke praised him, stating, "We are delighted to welcome Dan to Frontier, who brings with him a wealth of experience on some of the industry's largest IP.
His leadership in this genre will continue Frontier's upward momentum, and his appointment to the role of CMO highlights our focus on our communities. Dan will be at the heart of our player‑first strategy, ensuring our publishing team champions player creativity and celebrates the way in which they play our games." Karen Ionescu joins Kalypso Media UK as Digital Sales Manager. Ionescu previously held sales leadership roles at Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games, giving her a deep understanding of both retail and digital distribution channels. Managing Director Andrew Johnson said, "We're delighted to welcome Karen to Kalypso Media UK.
She brings a wealth of commercial experience and long‑standing relationships across both retail and digital sales channels, making her a fantastic addition to the team." Hannah Barrett has been promoted to Senior Account Executive at esports and gaming communications agency Swipe Right. Barrett started as an Account Executive in December 2025 and quickly demonstrated her ability to manage high‑profile esports campaigns. Supercell appoints Anni Pyy as Contract Manager. Pyy previously spent four years in the same capacity at Metacore, where she oversaw contractual negotiations for mobile titles across multiple markets.
Nathan Solbrandt becomes Senior Vice President of Business Development at fintech platform ZBD. Solbrandt formerly worked as Senior Account Executive at Motorica and served as Vice President of Business Development for the Americas at Xsolla. Olivia Lee joins Riot Games as Internal Events Producer, after previously serving as Associate Producer for internal events and programs, where she coordinated large‑scale employee engagement initiatives. Ciarah Pritchard is named Account Coordinator at Xsolla, following a role as Account Performance Manager at Playback Rewards, where she optimized client revenue streams.
Tracey Thompson returns to Bethesda as Vice President of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009 as Director of Publications, later becoming Associate VP of Communications before moving to Electronic Arts in 2019 as Head of Product and Studio Integrated Communications. She said, "I'm looking forward to partnering with the talented people across Bethesda and Xbox, supporting the teams behind some of the most iconic franchises in entertainment, and helping bring their creativity and vision to players around the world." Maddie Richter has been hired as Social Media Marketing Manager at Nintendo of America. Richter previously managed social channels for Alaska Airlines, where she grew follower engagement through data‑centric content strategies.
Dana Duffield joins Yotta Games as Narrative Designer. Duffield formerly held the Senior Narrative Designer title at Series Entertainment, contributing to story‑rich mobile experiences. Yogscast Games announces three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR and Influencer Manager, previously Creator and Community Director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, formerly Junior Producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator, previously Producer, Animator, and Artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, and instructor 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. Holm remarked, "At Jars AI we saw hundreds of thousands of creators use AI to shape weird new worlds and stories, and we're excited to keep pushing the boundaries of AI entertainment in our new roles." Sathvik Sudireddy becomes Marketing Manager, Live Services at Rockstar Games. Sudireddy previously worked as Product Manager on Call of Duty at Activision after an internship in business development at the developer.
Joe Chard is appointed Lead Product Manager at Netflix Games. Chard previously held senior roles at Jam City—including Vice President, Studio General Manager, and Head of Product—alongside leadership positions at The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros.
Entertainment.