Keeping up with the constant flow of personnel changes in the video‑game sector can be a daunting task, which is why we regularly assemble concise round‑ups of the most noteworthy moves. If you have a recent hire, promotion, or departure that you think belongs 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.
Catherine Bygrave has been named the head of commercial for Code Wizards Group. Bygrave brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously served as the business development director at Sumo Games.
Before that, she spent ten years at Activision, where she contributed to flagship franchises such as Call of Duty and Destiny, gaining deep insight into large‑scale live‑service operations and monetisation strategies. Her résumé also includes senior commercial and strategic roles at Gfinity, Humble Games, and Sumo Digital, where she helped shape partnership models and revenue‑generation frameworks.
"I have followed Code Wizards throughout my career and have always admired the team's ethos and performance," Bygrave said in a statement. "I am thrilled to join the organisation and to help drive the business forward as it embarks on its next phase of growth." Stuart Muckley, CEO of Code Wizards Group, echoed the sentiment: "We are delighted to welcome Catherine to our leadership team. The games industry has been evolving rapidly over the past few years, and Catherine’s expertise in commercial strategy and partnership development makes her the ideal person to guide Code Wizards to the next level." In other news, Michał Platkow‑Gilewski has been promoted to Vice President of Global Communications and Marketing at CD Projekt Red. Platkow‑Gilewski originally joined CD Projekt Red in 2011 as head of marketing and has since held a series of increasingly senior roles, including head of global communications, director of public relations and global communication, and finally VP of PR and communication.
His long tenure has seen him steer the company's messaging through the launch of major titles, manage crisis communications, and oversee worldwide marketing campaigns that have elevated the CD Projekt brand on a global stage. Playground Games has appointed Daniel Smith as an executive producer.
Smith arrives from Turn 10 Studios, where he oversaw large‑scale product development and production pipelines. Prior to that, he spent nine years at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, serving as senior producer and games producer and managing the studio’s extensive publishing portfolio. His experience in coordinating cross‑functional teams and delivering high‑quality, deadline‑driven projects is expected to strengthen Playground Games' upcoming releases.
Gero Micciché has taken on the role of lead producer at 2K and its Hangar 13 studio. Micciché’s background includes a stint as development director on the Battlefield franchise at Criterion Games, as well as development director and producer positions at Electronic Arts, Codemasters, and Gameloft. His broad experience across first‑person shooters, open‑world titles, and mobile games equips him to oversee Hangar 13’s ambitious pipeline and ensure that projects meet both creative and commercial expectations.
Bloober Team announced the appointment of Tymon Smektala as executive producer for its horror‑focused imprint, Broken Mirror Games. Smektala spent 13 years at Techland, most recently as franchise director, after joining the company in 2013 as a game designer. In his new role, he will shape the creative direction of Broken Mirror, curate its portfolio, and collaborate with external studios to inject fresh perspectives into the horror genre. "After more than 13 years at Techland, I’m taking on a new challenge: leading the imprint, shaping its creative direction and portfolio, and working with talented external studios to bring new perspectives on horror in gaming," Smektala explained.
Vik Agarwal has joined Roblox’s product team. Agarwal previously held senior product leadership positions at Meta and served as lead product manager at Zynga.
His earlier career includes product manager roles at Electronic Arts and Amazon Game Studios, giving him a solid foundation in both social and mobile gaming ecosystems. At Roblox, he will focus on enhancing the platform’s creator tools and expanding its monetisation features.
Finally, Daniel Loane has been named principal game designer at Zynga. Loane’s prior experience includes a senior game designer role at Fortis Games, as well as senior design positions at ZeniMax Online Studios, NetherRealm Studios, and King. His background spans a variety of genres, from massively multiplayer online experiences to mobile puzzle titles, positioning him to drive Zynga’s next wave of innovative game design. These appointments and promotions reflect the dynamic nature of the gaming industry, where talent mobility and strategic hires are essential for companies aiming to stay competitive and deliver compelling experiences to players worldwide.