Rockstar, PlayStation and CD Projekt Red make strategic hires

The month of November 2025 saw strategic movements and important promotions in major studios, indicating a period of restructuring and investment in senior leadership.

Highlighted Hires:

Michael Burnham: Assumes as Studio Manager at Ubisoft Reflections, replacing Lisa Opie. Burnham brings three decades of experience, having served as Studio Director at Supermassive Games, and in leadership roles at The Lego Group, Rebellion, and Electronic Arts. He sees Ubisoft Reflections as an "unmissable opportunity" in the context of UK development studios.

Marie-Sophie de Waubert, Chief Studios and Portfolio Officer at Ubisoft, celebrated the arrival: "Appointing Michael Burnham as studio manager, who has such deep ties to the UK video game industry, positions Reflections for success in the future."

Robert Saunders: The former Head of Communications at Nintendo UK for seven years and with experience at Apple joins Rockstar Games as Senior Director, Territory Communications.

Jacqueline Clarke: PlayStation Studios hired Jacqueline Clarke as Director of Co-development and Outsourcing. Clarke brings experience from Keywords Studios and KWM. She stated that it is a "privilege to now contribute from within an organization that has shaped so much of what inspires us all".

Promotions and RPG Additions:

CD Projekt Red promoted Seb McBride to Expert Level Designer Coordinator on The Witcher 4. McBride has been with the company since 2017, having worked on Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty.

The Polish studio also hired Karel Kolmann as Senior Quest Designer for The Witcher 4. Kolmann previously worked at Warhorse Studio on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

Travis Boese was promoted to Product Management Director for Teamfight Tactics at Riot Games.

Other Industry Movements:

Morgan Nixon joined Liquid Entertainment as a Senior 3D Animator. Nixon previously worked as a gameplay animator on Ghost of Yōtei at Sucker Punch Productions.

Cori Rose, ambassador of Women in Games, was hired as an Operations Coordinator at Third Kind Games.

Jann Jones assumed the position of Convention Programming Manager at The Pokémon Company International.

Josh Goldie joined Raptor PR as a Senior PR Account Manager, expressing satisfaction in combining his PR work with the gaming market.

The gaming market saw in November 2025 Ubisoft Reflections hiring Michael Burnham as Studio Manager, Rockstar Games reinforcing its communication with Robert Saunders, and PlayStation Studios bringing Jacqueline Clarke for co-development. CD Projekt Red invested in the development of The Witcher 4, with the promotion of Seb McBride and the hiring of Karel Kolmann.