Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a real challenge. That’s why we put together these periodic round‑ups, gathering the most noteworthy personnel moves in one place.
If you know of any new 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. Before this, he was the Business Development Director for Tencent Games, where he oversaw strategic partnerships and growth initiatives.
Satvat also founded and runs the community‑focused platform Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), which helps job‑seekers locate opportunities across the industry. "I wanted a position where I could see a direct link between the actions I take with a team and the impact on people returning to work," Satvat explained. "My goal has always been to help turn more developers' dreams of making games into reality.
I also wanted to work in an environment that supports smaller studios, because I have a deep affection for games of that scale, and I value a community‑first culture." He continued, "My final wish was to collaborate with colleagues who share the same values and integrity I hold myself to. By accepting 1Up's invitation, I feel all of those aspirations are coming true." Satvat added, "1Up is a crucial player in the gaming ecosystem, and I hope its distinctive approach to game investing endures for as long as possible." Lasse Seppänen announced his exit from Supercell after a seven‑year tenure. He joined the Finnish powerhouse in 2019 as a producer and later held senior positions such as 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 Director of Global Affairs for the UK. Derrington previously served as Head of Public Affairs for TikTok in the United Kingdom, where he managed regulatory and policy relationships.
Jess Pearce received a promotion at Kepler Interactive, moving up to Senior People Partner. Pearce started at Kepler as a People Advisor in 2022 and was elevated to People Partner in 2024 before taking on the senior role. Shreya Godha was promoted to Producer at PlaySimple Games after previously holding the Associate Producer title at the same studio.
Epic Games appointed Kelly Ekins as 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 led marketing for media and entertainment at the company and before that served as Studio Lead for Game Marketing and Communications at Warner Brothers Games Montreal.
Housemarque co‑founder and Managing Director Ilari Kuittinen stepped down after 31 years with the studio. Kuittinen co‑founded Housemarque in 1995 together with Harri Tikkanen after merging their earlier companies Bloodhouse and Terramarque. "Looking back, I feel immensely fortunate," Kuittinen reflected.
"We were in the right place at the right time throughout three decades of extraordinary industry growth, which let us stay fiercely independent for 26 years before becoming part of PlayStation Studios." "We have planned this leadership transition carefully behind the scenes. On July 1, Sami ‘Haxu’ Hakala officially assumed the Managing Director role, and I have continued supporting him and the leadership team until today to ensure complete operational continuity and stability.
Housemarque’s strategy and creative vision are in exceptional hands." Tamara Feiman has been 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 always makes Lion special is how we work with our partner studios. Together we take risks, learn quickly, and turn great ideas into games played by millions." "Lion has never been about any single individual. I’m fortunate to work with an incredible team across publishing, growth, product, engineering, and market intelligence, as well as our talented studio partners worldwide." Heather Sangria has joined Sega of America as Community Manager. Prior to Sega, 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 was promoted to Senior Product Manager for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard. Chen originally joined the company as a financial analyst in 2020, later moving into product management before earning the senior title.
Scot McCarron also received a promotion at Activision Blizzard, advancing to Senior Director of Product Management for Call of Duty. McCarron had been Director of Product Management on the franchise and originally entered Activision in 2018 as a Product Marketing Manager for emerging franchises. These movements illustrate the dynamic nature of talent within the gaming world, where seasoned veterans shift to new challenges and rising stars step into greater responsibilities, continually shaping the future of interactive entertainment.