Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, departures, and promotions in the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. To make life easier for industry observers, we regularly gather these personnel movements into concise round‑ups.
If you know of any recent appointments or transitions that belong in this list, please forward the individual's name, new title, new organization, as well as their previous role and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. Amir Satvat has taken on the role of General Partner at 1Up Ventures.
Prior to this, he spent several years at Tencent Games where he was the Business Development Director, overseeing strategic partnerships and growth initiatives. Satvat also founded and currently leads Always Supporting the Games Community (ASGC), a platform dedicated to helping job‑seekers find opportunities within the gaming world. "I wanted a position where I could see a more 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. "My goal has always been to help turn more developers' dreams of creating games into reality.
I also wanted to work in an environment that champions smaller studios, because I have a genuine passion for indie‑scale projects and for a community‑first culture." He continued, "My ultimate wish was to join colleagues who share the same values and integrity that I hold dear. By accepting 1Up’s invitation, I feel those aspirations are finally being fulfilled." Satvat added another thought: "1Up is a pivotal player in the broader games ecosystem, and I hope its distinctive approach to game‑stage investing endures for many years to come." In other news, Lasse Seppänen has announced his exit from Supercell after a seven‑year tenure.
He entered the company 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’ll remain based in the UK, and I plan to launch my own studio in 2027 – I’ll share more details when the timing is right." Take‑Two Interactive has named Giles Derrington as Director of Global Affairs for the United Kingdom. Derrington previously served as Head of Public Affairs for TikTok UK, where he managed regulatory and government relations.
At Kepler Interactive, Jess Pearce has been promoted to Senior People Partner. Pearce joined Kepler in 2022 as a People Advisor and moved into the People Partner role in 2024, where she now oversees talent strategy across the organization. PlaySimple Games announced the promotion of Shreya Godha to Producer. Godha had been working as an Associate Producer before earning the new title, reflecting her growing responsibilities in project coordination and delivery.
Epic Games has 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. Her earlier experience includes a stint at Warner Brothers Games Montreal as Studio Lead for Marketing and Communications, and she originally joined Unity in 2018 as Marketing Lead for Media and Entertainment. Housemarque co‑founder and Managing Director Ilari Kuittinen is stepping down after an impressive 31‑year run.
Kuittinen co‑founded Housemarque in 1995 alongside Harri Tikkanen after merging their respective studios, Bloodhouse and Terramarque. "Looking back, I feel incredibly fortunate," Kuittinen reflected. "We were in the right place at the right time for three decades of remarkable industry growth, which allowed us to stay fiercely independent for 26 years before becoming part of PlayStation Studios." He added, "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 to support him and the leadership team to ensure seamless operational continuity.
Housemarque’s strategic direction and creative vision are now in excellent hands." Tamara Feiman has been appointed CEO of Lion Studios, the publishing arm of Tripledot Studios. Feiman’s background includes serving as Publishing General Manager and beginning 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 has always set Lion apart is the way we collaborate with our partner studios. Together we take risks, learn quickly, and turn great ideas into games that reach millions of players." "Lion has never been about a single individual.
I’m fortunate to work with an extraordinary team spanning publishing, growth, product, engineering, and market intelligence, as well as our talented studio partners worldwide," she continued. Sega of America welcomes Heather Sangria as Community Manager. Sangria previously worked as a contract Social Strategist and Community Lead at One More Game, and she also held a Digital Strategy and Community Manager role at Undead Labs. Activision Blizzard has promoted Emily Rose Chen to Senior Product Manager for Call of Duty.
Chen originally joined the company as a Financial Analyst in 2020, later moving into product management before earning the senior title. Scot McCarron has also been elevated, now serving as Senior Director of Product Management for Call of Duty at Activision Blizzard. McCarron started at Activision in 2018 as a Product Marketing Manager for emerging franchises and later became Director of Product Management on the Call of Duty portfolio.
These movements illustrate the dynamic nature of talent flow within the gaming industry, highlighting both the rise of seasoned veterans into new leadership positions and the emergence of fresh voices ready to shape the next generation of interactive entertainment.