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United Kingdom Video Games Studio Numbers Rise and Employment Surges As New Research Identifies Regional Hubs
TIGA’s Making Games in the UK 2023 report also reveals increases in tax revenues and investment and showcases the games industry’s contribution to the Levelling Up agenda
Employment in the United Kingdom’s games development sector has surged by 11.4 per cent while studio numbers have increased by almost 18 per cent according to new figures released today by TIGA, the trade association representing the United Kingdom (UK) video games industry.
During the period from December 2021 and April 2023, wider games industry employment, tax revenues and investment also grew markedly.
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.
TIGA’s research shows that in the period from December of 2021 to April of 2023:
- The number of creative staff in studios surged by 15.2 per cent and at an annualised rate of 11.4 per cent from 20,975 in December 2021 to 24,155 full-time and full-time equivalent staff in April 2023. The total workforce including freelancers grew to 25,026.
- The number of jobs indirectly supported by studios in the supply chain rose from 38,348 to 44,162.
- Studio numbers grew from 1,528 to 1,801, an increase of 17.8 per cent.
- Combined direct and indirect tax revenues generated by the sector for the Treasury are estimated to have increased from £1.2 billion to £1.5 billion.
- Annual investment by studios rose from £1.3 billion to £1.66 billion.
- The game development sector’s annual contribution to UK gross domestic product increased from £2.9 billion to £3.68 billion.
“The UK video games development sector is powering ahead,” the Chief Executive Officer for TIGA, Dr Richard Wilson, OBE, said. “Employment is soaring and studios are continuing to hire at near record rates. With high growth games studios in many regions, the sector is supporting economic growth across the UK.
“Our sector’s outstanding long-term prospects are underpinned by strong consumer demand, rising foreign direct investment, which is attracted by our highly skilled workforce and Video Games Tax Relief, which reduces the cost of games development.
“If the UK is to win an even larger share of the growing market for video games, then the UK government should enhance the generosity of our Video Games Tax Relief (soon to be transformed into a Video Games Expenditure Credit), introduce a Video Games Investment Fund to help more small studios to scale up and establish an Industrial Secondments Programme to drive skills development.”
Meanwhile, the TIGA report has highlighted that almost 80 per cent of the UK’s games development workforce is located outside of London. 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. While approximately one-fifth of development staff are located in the South East of England, 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 of 2021 to April of 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).
| UK regions | 2023 share of UK development workforce |
| London | 22.4% |
| South East | 19.9% |
| North West | 12% |
| West Midlands | 10% |
| Scotland | 9.1% |
| East of England | 6.7% |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 5.8% |
| North East | 5.4% |
| East Midlands | 4.9% |
| South West | 2.5% |
| Northern Ireland | 0.7% |
| Wales | 0.6% |
“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,” Wilson said. “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 (47.5 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.”
“TIGA’s research illustrates the video games industry’s strong potential to drive regional economic growth,” the Chairman for TIGA and the Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director for Rebellion, Jason Kingsley, OBE, said. “My personal experience at Rebellion Developments further reinforces this notion as our studios actively contribute to the economic expansion of cities and regions such as Liverpool, Oxford, Warwick and Yorkshire. By enhancing Video Games Tax Relief, improving access to finance and bolstering skills development, we can empower and fortify the UK’s video games clusters, thus making a positive impact on the overall economy of the country.”
The findings in this press release 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.
Research methodology
Games Investor Consulting in conjunction with TIGA and its partners conducted surveys concluding in July of 2008, September of 2010, November of 2011, December of 2012, December of 2013, December of 2014, March of 2016, November of 2017, November of 2018, April of 2020, December of 2021 and April of 2023 of all known games companies involved in the creation of games (including developers, publishers, publisher studios, service companies and broadcasters with games divisions) in the UK. Assessments of every database entry are made on a company-by-company basis with strict vetting and verification rules to ensure each entry is discrete (to prevent duplication via subsidiary or parent companies) and confirmed to be active in games development. The survey counts staff working in development and development support roles in games studios, games publishers and development service companies. A broad array of additional data is also captured including studio location, primary platform focus and company ownership structure as well as company start-ups and exits/closures.
Games development
Games development is defined as including all production staff, QA, support, localisation and technical staff but excludes admin, finance, sales, marketing and commercial staff not directly involved with games production. Full-time equivalent staff comprise multiple part-time staff aggregated based on typical usage throughout a year to represent a single full-time employee.
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JioBLAST Launches All Stars vs India powered by Campa Energy: A New Era of Creator-Driven Esports Entertainment
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JioBLAST today announced the launch of JioBLAST All Stars vs India powered by Campa Energy, an exciting new creator-led, competitive entertainment format featuring BGMI, that brings gaming icons and fans together on one stage. The high-octane event will take place on 29th–30th November 2025 at NESCO, Mumbai, with registrations open on the JioGames app.
JioBLAST All Stars marks JioBLAST’s debut in India’s rapidly growing gaming and esports entertainment landscape and will headline GamingCon Bharat 2025, one of the country’s premier gaming festivals. Designed for India’s massive gaming audience base, All Stars vs India is a unique format that allows fans to either team up with or take on their favourite creators, transforming audiences into participants in an immersive, interactive show experience.
The tournament is a first-of-its-kind creator-led esports entertainment format featuring two fan-driven competitions, including a Jio Solo Tournament, exclusive for Jio customers to play with their favourite stars and an open Team Tournament for squads across India to play against the All stars.
Speaking on the announcement, Charlie Cowdrey, CEO, JioBLAST, said: “We’re thrilled to launch JioBLAST All Stars vs India, a fan-first, creator-powered format designed to bring India’s next wave of gamers into the spotlight. This is just the beginning of how JioBLAST will redefine competitive entertainment in India – more events, bigger line-ups, and new formats that level up every season. We’re thankful to KRAFTON for enabling us to bring this experience to the BGMI community.”
On the partnership, Megha Raturi, CMO, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd, said: “Campa Energy is more than a beverage; it’s an attitude. By partnering with JioBLAST, we’re tapping into the spirit of India’s unstoppable youth, those rewriting the rules of competition and resilience through gaming. All Stars vs India is a celebration of that unbreakable drive.”
At its core, JioBLAST All Stars represents a new era of competitive entertainment, where creators, fans, and communities converge in a format that celebrates participation. With open online qualifiers for players, JioBLAST is enabling aspiring gamers to share the stage with some of India’s most followed and respected gaming content creators at GamingCon Bharat.
Star-Studded Creator Line-up
- Payal Gaming
- Shreeman Legend
- Soul Regaltos
- Snax Gaming
Fans can qualify through open tournaments hosted on JioGames, leading to the Creator vs Community showcase matches on the main stage. The live event will feature professional production, live shoutcasting, fan meet-and-greets, and exclusive creator-driven content, ensuring a premium experience both on-ground and online.
JioBLAST All Stars vs India Registration Details:
- Event: JioBLAST All Stars vs India powered by Campa Energy
- Venue: GamingCon Bharat, Nesco, Mumbai
- Dates: 29–30 November 2025
- Game: Battlegrounds Mobile India
- Registrations to compete: Open until November 14th on the JioGames app
- Team Tournament: Open for all players across India
- Jio Solo Tournament: Exclusive for Jio users
- Total tournament Prize Pool : INR 10,00,000
Gaming enthusiasts can buy GaminCon Bharat 2025 tickets from District by Zomato. JioBLAST is a joint venture between Jio, BLAST, and RISE Worldwide Limited, combining Jio’s 500+ million-strong digital ecosystem with BLAST’s global expertise in esports entertainment and RISE’s leadership in sports and event management. Together, they aim to build India’s most engaging and scalable esports IP ecosystem – from world-class tournaments to creator-driven entertainment formats.
With India emerging as one of the world’s largest gaming markets and the Online Gaming Bill 2025 actively supporting industry growth, JioBLAST is set to accelerate the nation’s journey towards becoming a global esports powerhouse.
The post JioBLAST Launches All Stars vs India powered by Campa Energy: A New Era of Creator-Driven Esports Entertainment appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Rapidly-expanding software provider enters its 13th regulated market following Italian regulator’s approval of Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt titles
Having previously outlined its intentions to enter more regulated markets throughout 2025, sought-after software provider Swintt has announced that it has now officially been greenlit by Italy’s Agencia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) to offer its slots in the country.
The new certification has initially been granted for Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt titles, and though further approval is planned for both SwinttPremium and SwinttSelect releases in the not-too-distant future, the provider has already put pen to paper with two of Italy’s leading operators.
Launched in 2024 following Swintt’s acquisition of Elysium Studios, Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt is a cutting-edge collection of releases that incorporates elements of social, mobile and casino gaming to deliver a more engaging experience that’s custom-made for the modern player.
Featuring inventive themes, innovative features and intuitive, mobile-first game mechanics, some of the biggest hits to come from the collaboration to date include the quirky, folk lore-inspired I Hate Fairytales and the swashbuckling skull and bones epic, Pirate Pledge Hold & Win.
Given both titles boast a cast of characters that includes everything from punk rock princesses to salty sea dogs and a huge selection of rewarding bonus rounds, the two games and many more from the Elysium Studios line-up are certain to prove a popular addition among Italian audiences.
With Swintt’s successful acquisition of ADM certification now paving the way for the provider to enter its 13th regulated market, the decision will significantly expand the company’s European footprint and enable it to form further partnerships with Italian operators in the months to come.
David Mann, Chief Executive Officer at Swintt, said: “At Swintt, our focus has always been on ensuring that our content gets put in front of players in as many regulated markets as possible – and acquiring ADM approval to offer our games in Italy is another significant step on this journey.
“As an established iGaming market with a huge emerging player base, we feel our Elysium Studios – Driven by Swintt line-up can make a big impact in the region and we look forward to being able to roll out our other core line-ups very soon.”
The post Swintt games go live in Italy after receiving ADM certification appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming
Relax Gaming is diving to the ocean floor for Treasure Tumble Dream Drop, an 8×8 cluster-pays adventure in the hit Tumble series starring fearless explorer Scarlett Spinz. Momentum is everything as position multipliers build, cluster wins cascade and a suite of blocker-busting power-ups keeps the action flowing, with a maximum win potential of 10,000x.
Get ready for a fresh, fruity adventure with Amusnet’s newest slot – 20 Bulky Fruits Buy Bonus! This colourful game brings classic fruit symbols to life across 20 paylines, offering plenty of ways to hit winning combinations and enjoy nonstop excitement. The Buy Bonus feature lets you jump straight into the action, unlocking bonus rounds whenever you want for instant thrills.
TaDa Gaming, has added to its renowned TriLuck series with a classic Chinese themed slot game, 3 Lucky Baozhu. Offering multiple ways to win, 1000x max and 97% RTP, this gorgeously colourful game sparkles and crackles with fortune and good luck. The five reels, three rows, 50 fixed paylines grid holds traditional symbols including Caishen god of wealth, lucky red envelopes, lanterns and musical instruments.
Spinomenal has released Demi Gods VII Ultra Mode as part of its hugely successful Demi Gods Series. This is a 5×4 reel 50 lines video slot that takes players on an epic journey through the realm of the immortals, where financial fate rests with the gods. A powerful, surging soundtrack amplifies the gameplay and makes for a thunderous reels experience.
Endorphina has released its newest Halloween title, 3 Witch Pots. The slot features 5 reels, 4 rows, and 40 fixed paylines. This Halloween addition to the Endorphina slots portfolio takes players on a mystical journey to help a skillful witch’s lair.
Witness the downfall of John, a man of order, a devoted father, a loyal husband and a pillar of routine. Nolimit City’s latest release, Disorder, unearths the twisted origin story of Mental and Mental II. This highly anticipated slot falls under the extreme themed category of Nolimit City slots such as Serial and Disturbed.
BGaming invites players to saddle up and head to the Wild West in the brand-new Wild Wick online slot. The game is the latest to be developed in collaboration with Strmlytics, a leader in live-streaming data analytics. Wild Wick introduces players to a charismatic bounty hunter inspired by classic Western Heroes from Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name and Terence Hill’s Lucky Luke to the animated cowboys of the Soviet cartoon Treasure Island.
Stakelogic is closing out spooky season in style with Soul Slayer, a gripping slot experience where every spin becomes a battle for survival. Set in a world consumed by demonic forces, Soul Slayer challenges players to embrace their inner warrior and strike back with precision, fury, and Wild-filled rewards.
Red Rake Gaming presents Get the Coins!, a slot that combines gold coins with Major, Minor, and Grand prizes in a dynamic, fast-paced experience. This release offers rapid gameplay and an exclusive Mini-Game that delivers unique reward opportunities in every session. With its 3×3 reel format, each spin can generate coins and trigger the “Get the Coins!” Mini-Game with collectible coins whenever at least one coin appears on each reel.
Spinmatic announced the launch of Elemental Fusion, a revolutionary title that fuses the mechanics of Video Slots with the engaging features of Plinko games. This innovative product release highlights Spinmatic’s commitment to developing unique and compelling gaming experiences for the igaming market.
Amusnet has released 20 Golden Coins: Reel Fishing, a next-generation video slot that combines the charm of the game classics with the thrill of modernity. This 5-reel, 20-payline release brings the joy of fishing to life with vibrant visuals, engaging features and a soundtrack that fully immerses players in a sunny day by the water.
Evoplay has launched Sky Sentinels, a new slot that lets players decide their fate under the Egyptian sky. Every spin offers a choice between the Sun and the Moon. The radiant Sun guides wins from right to left, while the mysterious Moon moves them from left to right, each creating a unique way to play and win.
Million Games has announced the launch of Gatsby Gold, a 5×3, 243-ways video slot that combines the elegance of 1920s art deco with dynamic modern gameplay. The game offers 243 ways to win, a 96.3% RTP, and a maximum payout of 8,100x the bet, making it as rewarding as it is stylish.
Evoplay has launched Young Deer Song, a festive high-volatility slot that takes players deep into a mystical forest where nature’s creatures lead the way to great rewards. As the moon rises over the treetops, the reels come alive in this Christmas themed title with the fox, owl, raccoon, and wolf, each carrying their own charm and fortune.
Take to the skies and soar like an eagle, then swoop in and grab big wins by spinning the reels of Thunder Eagle Hold and Win Extreme from Booming Games. This action-packed, feature-filled slot is a wild adventure with a chance to win up to 10,000x. Thunder Eagle Hold and Win Extreme is a 5×3, 25-fixed payline slot.
Squid Gold X2 by 18Peaches invites players to dive deep into a world of mystery, magic and forgotten riches. Set within a sacred castle filled with ancient relics and hidden chambers, every spin feels like a step deeper into the unknown. The legendary golden squid is said to guard untold fortunes, and only the bravest adventurers will uncover its secrets.
With Swintt having already opened the way to a world of wonder in the original Lucky Fortune Door, this month the award-winning software provider is back in action again with Lucky Fortune Door Wild – an exciting reboot that gives players even more ways to win! Like its SwinttPremium predecessor, Lucky Fortune Door Wild is a five-reel slot that can be played with either five or ten paylines.
The post Week 45/2025 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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