Keeping up with the constant flow of hires, promotions, and departures across the video‑game sector can be a daunting task. That’s why we publish periodic round‑ups that gather all the notable moves in one place. If you know of a new appointment or a transition that belongs in this list, please forward the name, new title, new company, as well as the previous role and employer to newhires@gamesindustry.biz. One of the most prominent announcements this month is the appointment of Ben Board as chief executive officer of The Performance Guys, the optimisation arm of CodeDev Group.
Board brings a wealth of experience from his previous tenure at Epic Games, where he served as business development director for both the Epic Game Store and Unreal Engine after joining the firm in 2017 as a developer support manager. His résumé also includes senior leadership positions at Bullfrog Productions, Lionhead Studios, and BossAlien, making him a recognised heavyweight in the industry. "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 coding 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 another significant move, James Turner has rejoined 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 whimsical storytelling.
His return to the Pokémon franchise signals a renewed focus on artistic direction and brand consistency. Billy King has been named Lead Concept Artist at Respawn Entertainment.
King previously held the same title at ZeniMax Online Studios and worked as a senior concept artist for Amazon Games, where he contributed to several high‑profile projects. His portfolio of creature and environment designs is expected to enrich Respawn’s upcoming titles. Team 17 welcomed Sam Duncombe as Brand Marketing Manager.
Duncombe comes from Warner Bros. Discovery, where he was product manager for games and film, and will now steer Team 17’s brand strategy across its diverse portfolio of indie and mainstream releases. Loom Games announced the hiring of Cansu Karahan Can as People and Culture Manager.
Can previously performed the same role at Stoikk (formerly Kompanion), where she helped shape company culture and talent development programs. At Fellow Traveller, Christopher Wulf has been promoted to Senior Business Development Manager. Wulf joined the firm in 2021 after serving as senior business and event manager for The Triple‑i Initiative, and will now focus on expanding the company’s partnerships and market reach.
Wizards of the Coast added Julie Derhak to its roster as a Producer for the Dungeons & Dragons line. Derhak spent seven years at Epic Games, contributing to Fortnite Tech Art and the Lego‑Fortnite crossover, bringing valuable production expertise to the tabletop giant. Mojang Studios named Alvaro Menéndez International Social Lead.
Menéndez previously worked as senior marketing manager for Epic Games in Madrid, giving him deep insight into community building for global franchises. Frontier Developments promoted Linus Johnsson to Senior Audio Designer. Johnsson began his career at Frontier as a graduate audio designer in 2022 and has since helped craft the soundscapes for several of the studio’s titles.
After a seven‑year stint 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 said, "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 appointed Julia Gutnik as Head of Media.
Gutnik previously led media, social, and analytics for Kia America and spent over six years at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, where she headed digital and ad‑tech media initiatives. "After two years navigating the auto industry, I am returning to my entertainment roots, and to the place that shaped me into a global marketing leader," she remarked.
Studio MDHR added Lorna Antoniazzi as Art Producer. Antoniazzi came from Roarty Digital, where she worked on Fortnite Battle Royale and Lego Fortnite, and will now support the visual development of titles such as Cuphead. Grand Games appointed Aysu Kutbay as Product Manager. Kutbay previously managed products at Rollic, overseeing several successful mobile releases.
David Bailey returned to Games Workshop as Lead Commercial Manager – Licensing. Bailey first joined Games Workshop in 2019 as senior licensing manager, left in 2021 for a director role at Sumo Digital, and now says, "It's a privilege to return to the vast and evergreen Warhammer universes to help spearhead new business for licensing here." Second Stage hired Liana Murphy as Account Director for US Operations. Murphy previously served as COO and head of PR at Vicariously and V Publishing, bringing extensive operational experience to the agency. Amazon Luna announced Tim Coombs as Head of Brand Marketing.
Coombs was director of brand management at Xbox until July 2026 and has a history at Amazon Lumberyard and Amazon Game Tech, where he led product marketing initiatives. Erik Mogensen exited Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast after three years as Senior Director of Business Development for digital gaming.
Mogensen spent 23 years at Games Workshop, most recently as head of business development and consumer product licensing, and reflected, "It's not lost on me how special it's been to have worked on, and for, my favourite brands. First Warhammer, and most recently Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Transformers… the list goes on. I'm very much looking forward to my next chapter, whatever and wherever that may be." Blizzard Entertainment added Ryan Rubin as Senior Producer. Rubin previously produced two mobile titles for Netflix—Squid Game: Unleashed and Selling Sunset—and spent five years at Riot Games working on creative development for the League of Legends IP.
Battlestate Games named Andrey Odintsov 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 appointed Dan Lazarides as Chief Marketing Officer. Lazarides came from Sega Europe, where he was senior vice president of marketing, and succeeded Jo Cooke after she became Frontier’s CEO.
Cooke praised him, saying his leadership will "continue Frontier's upward momentum" and focus on a "player‑first" strategy. Kalypso Media UK hired Karen Ionescu as Digital Sales Manager. Ionescu previously worked at Numskull Games, Nintendo, and Rising Star Games, and will now oversee Kalypso’s digital retail channels.
Swipe Right promoted Hannah Barrett to Senior Account Executive. Barrett joined the esports and gaming communications agency in December 2025 as an account executive and has quickly moved up the ranks. Supercell named Anni Pyy as Contract Manager. Pyy spent four years in the same role at Metacore before joining the Finnish mobile‑gaming giant.
Fintech platform ZBD appointed Nathan Solbrandt as SVP of Business Development. Solbrandt previously worked as senior account executive at Motorica and served as vice president of business development for Xsolla in the Americas. Riot Games added Olivia Lee as Internal Events Producer.
Lee previously coordinated internal programs and events, ensuring employee engagement across the studio. Xsolla hired Ciarah Pritchard as Account Coordinator.
Pritchard came from Playback Rewards, where she managed account performance. Bethesda welcomed back Tracey Thompson as Vice President of Communications. Thompson originally joined Bethesda in 2009, left for EA in 2019, and now returns to help shape messaging for some of the most iconic entertainment franchises. Nintendo of America appointed Maddie Richter as Social Media Marketing Manager.
Richter previously managed social channels for Alaska Airlines and will now focus on community engagement for Nintendo’s flagship properties. Yotta Games added Dana Duffield as Narrative Designer. Duffield was senior narrative designer at Series Entertainment, bringing strong storytelling skills to Yotta’s upcoming projects. Yogscast Games announced three new hires: Charlotte Willis (PR and Influencer Manager, formerly creator and community director at Diva Agency), Robin Mawhinney (Production Coordinator, previously junior producer at Atelier 11), and Charlotte Pang (Publishing Coordinator, with a background as producer, animator, and educator at Team Gramps, Queensguard, and Submarine Art School).
Roblox’s Foundation AI team welcomed Steffen Holm and Chris Kruger to support the Build mobile‑first AI creation tool in New Zealand. The duo co‑founded Jars AI in 2023 and raised $3.5 million from Google and other investors, aiming to push the boundaries of AI‑driven entertainment. Rockstar Games hired 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 appointed Joe Chard as Lead Product Manager.
Chard’s prior experience includes serving as VP, studio general manager, and head of product at Jam City, as well as senior roles at Disney and Warner Bros. These movements reflect the dynamic nature of the gaming industry, where talent frequently shifts between studios, publishers, and related entertainment sectors, driving innovation and shaping the experiences that players enjoy worldwide.