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BAFTA confirmed on 27 October 2026 that Charu Desodt, studio head at Interior/Night, is the new Chair of its Games Committee. She succeeds Tara Saunders. Desodt brings more than 25 years in the games industry, including leadership work connected with Sony and Xbox, as well as previous service as a BAFTA Breakthrough participant and Games Award jury member. BAFTA has not yet published her term length, effective date, handover details or specific priorities for the committee.
Who is Charu Desodt?
Desodt is a games-industry studio director with more than 25 years of experience, according to BAFTA’s appointment announcement. Her career has included roles at Sony PlayStation, Lift London/Xbox and Preloaded. She is now studio head at Interior/Night, whose debut game was As Dusk Falls, an interactive drama built around branching choices and a television-style presentation.
Her connection to BAFTA also predates the chair appointment. BAFTA cites her involvement with its Breakthrough initiative and service on Games Award juries, giving her experience both as an industry leader and as someone involved in evaluating award submissions.
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The Games Committee is one of BAFTA’s sector committees. BAFTA says these committees are made up of volunteer members who help oversee and steer the Film, Games and Television Awards while supporting the charity’s wider mission. Committee chairs also sit on BAFTA’s Board of Trustees, linking sector-specific advice with the organisation’s overall governance.
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For the Games Committee, that means the chair works with elected and co-opted committee members on the governance and direction of BAFTA’s games awards and related activity. The role is not the same as running a game studio, judging every category personally or setting a unilateral awards policy. Decisions are made through the committee and BAFTA’s governance structures.
Who did Desodt replace?
Desodt succeeds Tara Saunders as Games Committee Chair. BAFTA’s current people listing identifies Desodt in the role and publishes the committee’s elected and co-opted membership.
The succession establishes a change in committee leadership, but BAFTA’s announcement does not say that the organisation has changed its award criteria, voting system or games-programme strategy.
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What experience does Desodt bring to the role?
Long-term games development experience
BAFTA describes Desodt’s career as spanning more than 25 years. That breadth covers studio and production environments rather than a single discipline, a useful background for a committee that represents a broad games sector.
Work across major platform and independent contexts
Her professional history includes Sony PlayStation, Lift London/Xbox and Preloaded, followed by leadership at Interior/Night. The combination gives her experience across platform-backed development, production and a studio known for narrative-focused work.
Prior BAFTA judging and talent experience
Her earlier BAFTA Breakthrough involvement and Games Award jury service mean she has already participated in parts of BAFTA’s talent-development and awards ecosystem. Those roles provide relevant institutional knowledge, although BAFTA has not announced a new mandate attached to her chairmanship.
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What has BAFTA announced about the wider leadership changes?
The 27 October announcement covered several committee and organisational appointments:
| Role | Appointee | Published detail |
|---|---|---|
| Chair of the Academy | Hilary Rosen | A three-year term was announced. |
| Chair of the Games Committee | Charu Desodt | Succeeds Tara Saunders; term length was not stated. |
| Chair of the Television Committee | Caroline Levy | Named in the same leadership announcement. |
| Chair of the Learning, Inclusion and Talent Committee | Nahrein Kemp | Named in the same leadership announcement. |
The three-year term applies to Rosen as Chair of the Academy. BAFTA has not said that Desodt’s Games Committee appointment carries the same duration.
Rosen said: “I have long been passionate about everything BAFTA does to promote the screen arts and champion talent across the screen industries, so it is a great privilege to take on the role of BAFTA Chair. I am delighted to be able to do this alongside our newly appointed committee chairs, Charu, Caroline and Nahrein and the rest of the BAFTA Board of Trustees. All are outstanding industry leaders and with the collective passion and insight we share I’m confident that this Board of Trustees will continue to build on the important and impactful work that has gone before.”
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What is still unknown about Desodt’s chairmanship?
BAFTA’s announcement confirms the succession but leaves several operational details open:
- The effective date of Desodt’s appointment.
- The length of her Games Committee term.
- How the handover from Saunders will be managed.
- Any new priorities, policy changes or strategic initiatives for the Games Committee.
Until BAFTA publishes those details, the appointment should be read as a leadership change rather than an announcement of revised awards rules or a new games-sector programme.
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Because the committee chair sits on the Board of Trustees, Desodt’s appointment places a games specialist with extensive studio experience in BAFTA’s senior governance. Her background may inform how the organisation engages with developers, celebrates creative and technical work, and connects awards activity with its year-round development programmes. BAFTA’s announcement describes those programmes as including masterclasses, lectures, scholarships, bursaries and mentoring.
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That potential influence is distinct from a published policy commitment. No specific changes to eligibility, categories, judging or talent programmes were attached to Desodt’s appointment on 27 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Charu Desodt become BAFTA Games Committee chair?
BAFTA announced the appointment on 27 October 2026. The announcement did not specify the date on which she formally began the role.
What game did Interior/Night make first?
Interior/Night’s debut game was As Dusk Falls, according to a UAL institutional biography of Desodt.
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Is Charu Desodt’s BAFTA term three years?
BAFTA announced a three-year term for Hilary Rosen as Chair of the Academy, not for Desodt’s Games Committee role. No term length has been published for Desodt.
Does the appointment change the BAFTA Games Awards rules?
No rule or judging change was announced. The confirmed information is a succession in committee leadership, with any future priorities still to be stated by BAFTA.
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