Research reveals the North East is one of the fastest growing video games development centres in the UK

Games development employment in the region has grown by 45.7 per cent, now accounts for 5.4 per cent of all UK games development workforce. The North East region of England has seen one of the biggest increases in employment in the UK video games development sector, according to new research published by TIGA, the trade association representing the games industry.

The report demonstrates that games industry talent is dispersed across diverse regions throughout the country, with the sector contributing strongly to the UK’s Levelling Up agenda. Almost 80 per cent of those working in the UK games industry are not based in London.

In the period from December 2021 to April 2023, the head count of staff working in video games in the North East grew by some 45.7 per cent. The region accounts for 5.4 per cent of the UK games development workforce in total, equivalent to 1,287 people.

Games studios in the area include Ubisoft (Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate) and the newly established Creative Assembly North (Total War franchise, a division of SEGA).

The findings come from TIGA’s definitive report on the state of the UK video games industry Making Games in the UK 2023 (TIGA, 2023), which is based on an extensive survey of UK games businesses, with analysis by Games Investor Consulting.

Video games remains one of the UK’s ongoing success stories. Not only are some of the biggest games franchises created here, but the sector continues to grow in terms of headcount, number of businesses and more.

The TIGA Making Games in the UK 2023 report shows that overall employment in the UK’s games development sector has surged by 11.4 per cent, while studio numbers have increased by almost 18 per cent.

During the period from December 2021 and April 2023, wider games industry employment, tax revenues and investment also grew markedly.

Dr Richard Wilson, OBE, TIGA CEO, said: “While London employs over 22 per cent of the games development workforce across 587 companies, 77 per cent of all games development staff in the UK are employed outside of the capital.

“Approximately one-fifth of development staff are located in the South East of England, while the third, fourth and fifth largest centres of games development by headcount are the North West of England, the West Midlands and Scotland, respectively.

“Including indirect staff, games development companies support over 53,000 jobs outside of London. In percentage terms, the strongest headcount growth over the period December 2021 to April 2023 was found in the North East (45.7 per cent), Yorkshire and Humber (33.9 per cent) and Northern Ireland (33.5 per cent).

“The video games industry has immense potential to contribute to the Levelling Up agenda, not least due to the 44,000 people working in the games supply chain which is mostly based outside of London. Providing high-skilled employment opportunities, the sector has established strong creative industry clusters right across the UK.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

• Add me on LinkedIn and Twitter to keep up to date
• And follow Bdaily on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
• Submit press releases to editor@bdaily.co.uk for consideration.