Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions and departures across the video‑game sector can be a daunting task, which is why we publish periodic round‑ups that gather the most noteworthy moves in one place. If you know of a change that belongs in this list—whether it’s a new appointment, a transition, or a notable exit—please forward the relevant details (name, new role, company, and previous position) to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.
Former Epic Games executive Ben Board has been tapped to lead The Performance Guys, the optimisation arm of CodeDev Group, as its chief executive officer. Board’s résumé includes a stint as business development director for the Epic Game Store and Unreal Engine, a role he assumed after joining Epic in 2017 as a developer‑support manager. Earlier in his career he held senior leadership positions at celebrated studios such as Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios and BossAlien, giving him a deep‑rooted understanding of both classic and modern game development pipelines.
"Ben is a true industry heavy‑hitter whose reputation and technical authority speak for themselves," said Myke Parrot, CEO of CodeDev Group. "He understands game development from every angle – from writing engine scripts to managing developer relations for the world’s biggest platforms and engines. Bringing Ben in as CEO of The Performance Guys sends an unmistakable message to the market: if your game has a performance problem on any engine, we have the best team on the planet to fix it." In other news, James Turner has re‑joined The Pokémon Company International, this time as Creative Director of Pokémon Art and Design.
Turner originally left Game Freak in 2022 to co‑found All Possible Futures with Jonathan Biddle; the studio’s debut title, The Plucky Squire, launched in September 2024 and earned praise for its inventive storytelling and hand‑drawn aesthetic. His return to Pokémon signals a renewed focus on artistic direction and brand cohesion across the franchise’s expanding media portfolio. Respawn Entertainment announced the appointment of Billy King as Lead Concept Artist. King arrives from ZeniMax Online Studios, where he served as lead concept artist, and previously held a senior concept‑artist role at Amazon Games.
His experience spans a variety of genres, from open‑world shooters to narrative‑driven adventures, and he is expected to help shape the visual identity of Respawn’s upcoming projects. Team17 has named Sam Duncombe its new Brand Marketing Manager. Duncombe comes from Warner Bros. Discovery, where he was product manager for games and film, bringing a strong background in cross‑platform branding and audience engagement.
Loom Games welcomed Cansu Karahan Can as People and Culture Manager. Can previously oversaw people‑operations at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion), where she helped build a supportive workplace culture for a fast‑growing indie studio. At Fellow Traveller, Christopher Wulf earned a promotion to Senior Business Development Manager. Since joining the company in 2021, Wulf has driven partnership initiatives, building on his earlier experience as senior business and event manager for The Triple‑i Initiative.
Wizards of the Coast added Julie Derhak to its Dungeons & Dragons team as a Producer. Derhak spent seven years at Epic Games, contributing to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego‑themed Fortnite experience, before moving into tabletop‑gaming production. Mojang Studios appointed Alvaro Menéndez as International Social Lead.
Menéndez previously acted as senior marketing manager for Epic Games in Madrid, where he managed global community campaigns for flagship titles. Frontier Developments promoted Linus Johnsson to Senior Audio Designer. Johnsson began his Frontier career in 2022 as a graduate audio designer and has since contributed to the soundscapes of several high‑profile releases.
After a seven‑year tenure at Epic Games, Nate Nanzer departed to become Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial & Marketing at Paramount Games. Nanzer’s most recent Epic role was SVP of Partnerships and Monetisation.
He remarked, "The scale of the ambition and vision here for what's next is incredibly exciting. I've spent my career at the intersection of games, entertainment, and fandom, and the opportunity to help build what comes next at Paramount was simply too compelling to pass up." Amazon Gaming announced Julia Gutnik as Head of Media.
Gutnik moves back to the entertainment side after two years leading media, social and analytics at Kia America. She previously spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, heading digital and ad‑tech media initiatives.
Studio MDHR named Lorna Antoniazzi as Art Producer. Antoniazzi’s prior role was producer at Roarty Digital, where she contributed to Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite. Grand Games hired Aysu Kutbay as Product Manager; she formerly managed products at Rollic, overseeing mobile‑game pipelines from concept through launch.
Games Workshop welcomed back David Bailey as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey originally joined Games Workshop in 2019 as senior licensing manager, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now returns to steward the expansive Warhammer IP. Second Stage appointed Liana Murphy as Account Director for US Operations.
Murphy previously held concurrent COO and Head of PR positions at Vicariously and V Publishing. Amazon Luna introduced Tim Coombs as Head of Brand Marketing. Coombs previously directed brand management at Xbox (2020‑2026) and held product‑marketing leadership roles for Amazon Lumberyard and Amazon Game Tech.
Erik Mogensen exited Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for digital gaming. Mogensen’s 23‑year career at Games Workshop culminated in heading business development and consumer‑product licensing for Warhammer and other flagship brands. Blizzard Entertainment added Ryan Rubin as Senior Producer. Rubin’s background includes senior production on Netflix mobile titles Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset, as well as five years at Riot Games working on League of Legends creative development.
Battlestate Games appointed Andrey Odintsov as Head of Marketing. Odintsov previously managed user acquisition at Multicast Games and now operates as an independent growth and go‑to‑market consultant.
Frontier Developments announced Dan Lazarides as Chief Marketing Officer. Lazarides joins from Sega Europe, where he was Senior Vice President of Marketing, succeeding Jo Cooke after her elevation to Frontier CEO. Cooke praised his arrival, noting his experience with large IPs and his focus on player‑first strategies.
Kalypso Media UK hired Karen Ionescu as Digital Sales Manager. Ionescu’s résumé includes sales leadership at Numskull Games, Nintendo and Rising Star Games. Swipe Right promoted Hannah Barrett to Senior Account Executive. Barrett began at the agency in December 2025 as an account executive.
Supercell named Anni Pyy as Contract Manager; she previously held the same title at Metacore for four years. Fintech platform ZBD appointed Nathan Solbrandt as SVP of Business Development. Solbrandt’s prior roles include senior account executive at Motorica and VP of Business Development for the Americas at Xsolla. Riot Games added Olivia Lee as Internal Events Producer, after serving as associate producer for internal programs.
Xsolla welcomed Ciarah Pritchard as Account Coordinator; she previously worked as account performance manager at Playback Rewards. Bethesda reinstated Tracey Thompson as VP of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009, rose to associate VP of Communications, left for EA in 2019, and now returns to oversee messaging for iconic franchises.
Nintendo of America named Maddie Richter as Social Media Marketing Manager. Richter’s former position was social media manager at Alaska Airlines.
Yotta Games brought on Dana Duffield as Narrative Designer; Duffield previously served as senior narrative designer at Series Entertainment. Yogscast Games announced three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR and Influencer Manager, formerly creator and community director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, formerly junior producer at Atelier 11) and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator, with past experience as producer, animator and artist for Team Gramps and Queensguard, plus teaching roles at Submarine Art School and The Code Zone).
Roblox’s Foundation AI team expanded with Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger, both co‑founders of Jars AI, an interactive AI platform that raised $3.5 million from Google and other investors in 2023. They will help advance the mobile‑first AI creation tool Build in New Zealand. Rockstar Games appointed Sathvik Sudireddy as Marketing Manager, Live Services. Sudireddy previously managed product for Call of Duty at Activision after an internship in business development at Rockstar.
Netflix Games promoted Joe Chard to Lead Product Manager. Chard’s background includes VP, studio general manager and head of product at Jam City, plus senior product roles at Disney and Warner Bros. These appointments, promotions and departures illustrate the fluid nature of talent movement within the interactive entertainment industry, underscoring how studios continually seek fresh perspectives and seasoned expertise to drive innovation and maintain competitive advantage.