Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, departures and role changes across the games sector can be a daunting task. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that collect all the noteworthy moves in one place. If you know of any personnel changes that belong in this list—new appointments, internal promotions, or executives moving on—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 manager at 1Up Ventures.
Before this, he was the business development director for Tencent Games, where he helped shape the company’s growth strategy in multiple markets. Satvat also founded and runs Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), an initiative designed to help job‑seekers navigate the gaming industry and connect with potential employers.
"I wanted a more immediate link between the decisions I could influence and the tangible impact on a team, especially when it comes to getting people back to work," Satvat explained. "I wanted to help turn more people’s dreams of creating games into reality through my own actions.
I also hoped to work in an environment that focuses on smaller studios, because I have a deep affection for games of that scale, and in a culture that puts community first." He continued, "My final wish was to collaborate with colleagues who share the same values and integrity I strive for. Accepting 1Up’s invitation feels like all those wishes are coming together." Satvat added, "1Up is a pivotal player in the broader games ecosystem, and I aim to help ensure its distinctive approach to game investing endures for as long as possible." Lasse Seppänen announced his departure from Supercell after a seven‑year tenure. He joined the Finnish powerhouse in 2019 as a producer and later assumed 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 will remain in the UK, and in 2027 I plan to launch my own studio again—more details when the timing 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 government relations and regulatory strategy. Jess Pearce earned a promotion to senior people partner at Kepler Interactive.
Pearce first joined Kepler in 2022 as a people advisor and moved up to people partner in 2024, taking on broader responsibilities for talent acquisition and employee development. Shreya Godha was promoted to producer at PlaySimple Games after previously serving as an associate producer. In her new role she will oversee end‑to‑end production pipelines for the studio’s mobile titles.
Epic Games appointed Kelly Ekins as its 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 game marketing and communications, and entered Unity in 2018 as the marketing lead for media and entertainment.
After 31 years at Housemarque, co‑founder and managing director Ilari Kuittinen stepped down. Kuittinen co‑founded the studio 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 for three decades of extraordinary industry growth, which allowed us to stay fiercely independent for 26 years before joining the PlayStation Studios family." "We have carefully planned this leadership transition 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 to ensure seamless 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 started her career at Lion in 2020 as the EMEA business development lead and later became publishing general manager. "I joined Lion six years ago," Feiman said. "Since then I have had the privilege of growing alongside the company through its biggest successes, challenges, and transformations. What has always made Lion special is how we collaborate with our partner studios.
Together we have taken risks, learned quickly, and turned great ideas into games enjoyed by millions." "Lion has never been about any single individual. I am fortunate to work with an incredible team across publishing, growth, product, engineering, and market intelligence, as well as our talented studio partners worldwide," she added. Heather Sangria has 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.
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, moved into product management, and has now taken on senior responsibilities for the franchise. Scot McCarron earned a promotion 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 and later became director of product management for the flagship Call of Duty series.
These announcements illustrate the dynamic nature of talent movement within the gaming industry, highlighting how seasoned professionals continue to shape the future of interactive entertainment through new challenges, leadership roles, and entrepreneurial ventures. The ecosystem thrives on such fluidity, with each transition bringing fresh perspectives to studios, publishers, and investors alike.