Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the video‑game sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that gather all the noteworthy moves in one place. If you know of a colleague who has recently changed roles or joined a new studio, please forward the person's name, new title, new company, as well as their previous position and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
Amir Satvat has taken on the role of general partner at 1Up Ventures. Before this appointment, Satvat spent several years as the business development director for Tencent Games, where he helped shape the company’s strategic partnerships and expansion plans.
In addition to his corporate experience, Satvat founded and currently leads the initiative Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), a platform dedicated to matching talent with opportunities throughout the gaming industry. "I wanted a role where I could see a direct line between the decisions I make and the impact they have on real people," Satvat explained. "My goal has always been to help turn aspiring developers' dreams into reality, and I felt that working with smaller, community‑focused studios would let me do that most effectively. I also sought a team that shares my values of integrity and collaboration.
When 1Up invited me to join, I felt all of those aspirations were finally aligning." He added, "1Up plays a critical part in the broader games ecosystem, and I hope to help preserve its distinctive, founder‑friendly investment model for as long as possible." Lasse Seppänen announced his departure from Supercell after a seven‑year tenure. He joined Supercell in 2019 as a producer and later held senior positions including head of game production services and general manager of Supercell London. "It feels like the right moment to return to my original passion—creating new intellectual property," Seppänen said.
"I will remain based in the United Kingdom, and I plan to launch my own studio in 2027. I will share more details when the timing is right." Take‑Two Interactive named Giles Derrington as its new director of global affairs for the United Kingdom. Derrington previously served as head of public affairs for TikTok UK, where he managed the platform's regulatory and government relations during a period of rapid growth.
Jess Pearce received a promotion at Kepler Interactive, moving into the senior people partner role. Pearce first joined Kepler in 2022 as a people advisor and was elevated to people partner in 2024, overseeing talent acquisition and employee development across the company. Shreya Godha was promoted to producer at PlaySimple Games after serving as an associate producer. In her new capacity, Godha will oversee project timelines, coordinate cross‑functional teams, and help shape the studio's upcoming mobile titles.
Epic Games appointed Kelly Ekins as director of communications. Ekins comes from Unity, where she held the senior director of global public relations position for the Games and Made with Unity program. Prior to Unity, she led marketing for Warner Brothers Games Montreal, focusing on studio‑level marketing and communications. 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 respective companies, Bloodhouse and Terramarque. "Looking back, I feel immensely fortunate," Kuittinen reflected. "We were in the right place at the right time for three decades of industry growth, which allowed us to stay fiercely independent for 26 years before joining the PlayStation Studios family." He continued, "The leadership transition has been carefully planned behind the scenes.
On July 1, Sami 'Haxu' Hakala officially assumed the managing director role, and I have continued to support him and the rest of the leadership team to ensure seamless operational continuity. Housemarque's strategic direction and creative vision are in excellent hands." Tamara Feiman was named chief executive officer of Lion Studios, the publishing arm of Tripledot Studios. Feiman began her career at Lion in 2020 as the EMEA business development lead and later served as publishing general manager.
"I joined Lion six years ago and have watched the company navigate its biggest successes, challenges, and transformations," Feiman said. "What makes Lion special is our collaborative approach with partner studios.
Together we take risks, learn quickly, and turn great ideas into games that reach millions of players." She added, "Lion has never been about any single individual. I am privileged to work with an outstanding team spanning publishing, growth, product, engineering, and market intelligence, as well as our talented studio partners worldwide." Heather Sangria joined Sega of America as community manager. Sangria previously worked as a contract social strategist and community lead at One More Game and held a digital strategy and community manager role at Undead Labs, where she helped build engaged player communities around horror titles. Emily Rose Chen earned a promotion to senior product manager for the Call of Duty franchise at Activision Blizzard.
Chen originally joined the company in 2020 as a financial analyst, later transitioning to product management where she contributed to several key updates and live‑service initiatives. Scot McCarron was elevated to senior director of product management for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard. McCarron first arrived at Activision in 2018 as a product marketing manager for emerging franchises, later moving into product management and leading the development of new gameplay features and monetisation strategies.
These moves illustrate the dynamic nature of talent flow within the games industry, highlighting both the emergence of new leadership and the evolution of established teams. As studios continue to expand, merge, and explore fresh creative directions, the careers of individuals like Satvat, Seppänen, and Kuittinen serve as a reminder of how personal ambition and industry trends intersect.
The ongoing reshuffling of roles not only reflects personal growth but also signals broader shifts in market focus—whether toward indie‑centric investment models, the resurgence of original IP creation, or the strengthening of community‑first publishing strategies. By tracking these changes, observers can gain insight into where the industry is heading and which companies are positioning themselves for future success.