Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions across the video‑game sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that collect the most noteworthy personnel moves in one place. If you know of a transition that belongs in this list—new appointment, internal promotion, or departure—please forward the name, new title, new company, and previous role and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Amir Satvat has taken on the role of general partner at 1Up Ventures.
Before this, he was the business development director for Tencent Games, where he helped shape the studio’s strategic growth initiatives. Satvat also founded and runs Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), a platform dedicated to helping job‑seekers find positions within the gaming industry. "I wanted a role where I could see a direct link between the actions I take and the impact on a team, especially when it comes to getting people back to work," Satvat explained.
"I’m passionate about turning more creators' dreams of building games into reality, and I love working with smaller studios that have a strong community focus. My final wish was to collaborate with colleagues who share my values and integrity. Accepting 1Up’s invitation feels like all those wishes are coming true." He added, "1Up plays a crucial part in the broader games ecosystem, and I hope its distinctive investment philosophy endures for many years to come." After seven years at Supercell, Lasse Seppänen announced his departure.
He started at the company in 2019 as a producer and later held senior positions, including head of game production services and general manager of Supercell London. "It’s time for me to return to my passion for creating new IPs," Seppänen said. "I’ll stay in the UK, and in 2027 I plan to launch my own studio again – I’ll share more details when the moment is right." Take‑Two Interactive has named Giles Derrington as its director of global affairs for the UK. Derrington previously served as head of public affairs for TikTok in the United Kingdom, where he managed the platform’s government and regulatory relationships.
At Kepler Interactive, Jess Pearce earned a promotion to senior people partner. Pearce joined Kepler in 2022 as a people advisor, moved up to people partner in 2024, and now oversees senior‑level talent strategy for the growing publisher.
PlaySimple Games promoted Shreya Godha to producer. Godha had been an associate producer at the studio and will now lead production teams on upcoming mobile titles. Epic Games announced the appointment of Kelly Ekins as its director of communications.
Ekins comes from Unity, where she was senior director of global PR for the Games and Made with Unity program. Prior to Unity, she spent time at Warner Brothers Games Montreal as studio lead for marketing and communications, and she began her Unity tenure in 2018 as marketing lead for media and entertainment. Housemarque’s co‑founder and managing director Ilari Kuittinen stepped down after an impressive 31‑year tenure. Kuittinen co‑founded the studio in 1995 alongside Harri Tikkanen after merging their respective companies, Bloodhouse and Terramarque.
Reflecting on his career, Kuittinen said, "We were incredibly fortunate to be in the right place at the right time for three decades of industry expansion, which let us stay independent for 26 years before joining the PlayStation Studios family." He continued, "The leadership transition has been meticulously 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 executive team to guarantee smooth operational continuity. Housemarque’s strategic direction and creative vision are in excellent hands." Tamara Feiman has been appointed 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," she recalled. "Since then I’ve had the privilege of growing with the company through its biggest wins, challenges, and transformations.
What makes Lion special is the collaborative way we work with partner studios. Together we take risks, learn quickly, and turn great ideas into games enjoyed by millions." Feiman emphasized that Lion’s success is a team effort: "Lion has never been about any single individual.
I’m fortunate to work alongside an incredible team spanning publishing, growth, product, engineering, and market intelligence, as well as our talented studio partners worldwide." Sega of America welcomed Heather Sangria as its 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. Activision Blizzard promoted Emily Rose Chen to senior product manager for the Call of Duty franchise. Chen started at the company in 2020 as a financial analyst, later moved into product management, and now oversees key product initiatives for the flagship series.
In a similar vein, Scot McCarron advanced to senior director of product management for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard. McCarron originally joined the firm in 2018 as a product marketing manager for emerging franchises, later becoming director of product management for the Call of Duty line 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 and publishers. The industry’s health depends on such fluidity, as fresh perspectives and seasoned expertise combine to drive innovation, sustain growth, and bring new experiences to gamers worldwide.