22% of UK games industry staff have skilled job loss in the last three years, together with redundancies, studio closures, and the tip of fixed-term contracts.
This information comes from UKIE, which has launched the third version of its industry census, now referred to as the UK Games Industry Workforce Demographics Survey.
Professor Mark Taylor designed, performed, and authored the survey, which is predicated on responses from 1,610 UK games industry professionals collected between November 2025 and January 2026.
It is a lower from 3,603 respondents in the 2021 version. UKIE famous these outcomes are “finest understood as a snapshot fairly than an exhaustive audit.”
“The findings mirror the experiences of those that took half throughout important upheaval. As a result of each the industry and respondent base have modified since earlier editions, they need to be learn on their very own phrases fairly than in contrast immediately with earlier findings,” the report stated.
Job losses
The survey’s main focus was the impact of layoffs and studio closures, with 22% of respondents experiencing job loss in the previous three years.
Half of respondents who left a job, together with those that transitioned to new roles, secured new employment inside three months. Those that have been looking for a brand new function for over a yr are the most certainly to plan to depart the industry altogether.
Non-binary (29%) and feminine (23%) respondents have been extra more likely to have misplaced a job than males (20%), and writers and artists have been disproportionately affected, with 44% and 31% reporting job losses, respectively.
The report recognized a direct correlation between job loss and declining psychological well being, noting that job loss is commonly linked to elevated psychological well being situations.
Demographics
Ladies comprise 33% of the workforce, which is considerably under the 49% in the broader UK workforce however just like different European games industries.
5% of respondents recognized as non-binary or one other gender. 6% recognized as trans, with 2% describing their gender as male or feminine and 4% as non-binary or one other description.
Relating to age, 48% of respondents have been 35 or older, whereas 7% have been 25 or youthful. The UK games workforce is predominantly White at 88%, with White British illustration growing in extra senior roles.
1% of respondents recognized as Black, and 5% as blended, a number of ethnicities, or Asian. Ethnic minorities held solely 6% of senior management roles in organisations with greater than 24 workers.
24% of respondents maintain a non-UK nationality, together with 16% from the EEA. The info suggests advancing to senior positions by altering jobs has grow to be tougher for non-UK nationals, possible as a result of visa complexities.
33% of the UK games workforce identifies as LGBTQIA+, considerably greater than the nationwide common of 3.7%.
Shifting sentiment hole
Whereas 81% of these surveyed are proud to be half of the UK games industry, solely 38% would advocate it as an awesome place to work.
Ladies and non-binary respondents reported decrease satisfaction with each their workplaces and the industry as an entire than males did.
There was a pointy improve in self-disclosed situations. Reviews of ADHD rose to 27% (from 10% in 2021) and autism to 16% (from 4%), indicating each greater prevalence and larger industry consciousness.
41% of respondents work in organisations with fewer than 100 workers. 61% work primarily from dwelling, whereas 41% should spend some weekly hours at a specified location, in comparison with 15% in the broader UK workforce.
London’s share of the workforce declined from 37% to 26%, whereas headcount elevated modestly throughout most different UK areas.
64% of respondents grew up in households the place the principle earner held a managerial or skilled function, in comparison with 37% in the broader UK workforce. This means ongoing obstacles for these from decrease socioeconomic backgrounds.
84% of respondents maintain a level. Office coaching can also be prevalent, with 32% receiving employer-provided coaching in comparison with 18% in the broader UK workforce.
Outlook
In response to those findings, UKIE’s Elevate The Sport initiative has shaped a coalition of industry companions to develop their efforts and assist them with a devoted fund.
These companions embrace: Into Games, Many Cats Studio, Melanin Players, POC in Play, Secure In Our World, Particular Impact, Code Coven, Restrict Break, Games Management, and Ladies in Games.
“Collectively, these companions will develop an motion plan that responds on to what this survey has discovered, in order that the following era of games professionals enters an industry that’s equitable and secure for everybody.”