Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that gather all the noteworthy moves in one place. If you know of any recent staffing changes at your studio that belong in this list, please forward the name of the individual, the new title and company, as well as the previous role and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
Amir Satvat has officially joined 1Up Ventures as its general manager. Before this appointment, Satvat spent several years at Tencent Games where he was the director of business development, responsible for forging strategic partnerships and expanding the company’s portfolio. In addition to his corporate experience, he founded and runs Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), an initiative dedicated to helping job seekers find positions within the gaming industry. "I wanted a role where the impact of my work could be felt directly by the people I was helping and by the teams I was collaborating with," Satvat explained.
"I’m passionate about turning aspiring developers’ dreams into reality, and I felt that a focus on smaller studios would let me stay close to the kind of games I love most. I also wanted to be part of an organization that puts community first." He continued, "My final wish was to work alongside colleagues who share the same values and integrity I try to uphold. Accepting 1Up’s invitation feels like all those wishes are finally aligning." Satvat added a broader perspective on the firm’s role: "1Up is a pivotal player in the gaming ecosystem, and I hope its distinctive approach to investing in games endures for many years to come." Lasse Seppänen announced his departure from Supercell after a seven‑year tenure.
He entered the company in 2019 as a producer and subsequently 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 original passion – creating new IPs," Seppänen said. "I’ll remain based in the UK, and I’m planning to launch my own studio in 2027.
I’ll share more details when the time is right." Take‑Two Interactive has named Giles Derrington as its director of global affairs for the United Kingdom. Derrington previously led public affairs for TikTok in the UK, where he managed government relations and policy advocacy. Jess Pearce earned a promotion at Kepler Interactive, moving up to senior people partner.
Pearce first joined Kepler in 2022 as a people advisor, advanced to people partner in 2024, and now oversees senior‑level talent strategy across the organization. Shreya Godha was elevated to the role of producer at PlaySimple Games after serving as an associate producer. Her promotion reflects her growing influence on the studio’s project pipelines and cross‑functional coordination.
Epic Games announced the appointment of Kelly Ekins as director of communications. Ekins comes from Unity, where she was senior director of global public relations 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 career at Unity in 2018 as the marketing lead for media and entertainment. Housemarque’s co‑founder and managing director Ilari Kuittinen stepped down after a remarkable 31‑year run.
Kuittinen co‑founded Housemarque in 1995 alongside Harri Tikkanen, merging their earlier studios Bloodhouse and Terramarque. Reflecting on his legacy, Kuittinen said, "Looking back, I feel immensely fortunate. We were in the right place at the right time during three decades of industry growth, which allowed us to stay fiercely independent for 26 years before joining the PlayStation Studios family." He added, "The leadership transition has been carefully planned.
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 operational continuity. Housemarque’s strategy 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’s career at Lion began in 2020 as the EMEA business development lead, later becoming publishing general manager. "I joined Lion six years ago and have watched the company navigate its biggest successes, challenges, and transformations," Feiman remarked.
"What makes Lion special is how we collaborate with partner studios. Together we take risks, learn quickly, and turn great ideas into games that reach millions." She emphasized the collective nature of the effort: "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 taken on the role of community manager at Sega of America. Previously, she worked as a contract social strategist and community lead for One More Game and held a digital strategy and community management position at Undead Labs.
Emily Rose Chen received a promotion to senior product manager for the Call of Duty franchise at Activision Blizzard. Chen started at Activision in 2020 as a financial analyst, later moving into product management before earning this senior title. Scot McCarron was also promoted, becoming senior director of product management for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard. McCarron joined the company in 2018 as a product marketing manager for emerging franchises and later served as director of product management on the Call of Duty series before his latest elevation.
These movements illustrate the dynamic nature of talent within the gaming industry, where seasoned professionals continue to shift, grow, and influence the creation and distribution of interactive entertainment worldwide.