The British Independent Game Developers Association (TIGA) has released new data about the state of the industry in the country.
- As of May 2024, the gaming industry in the UK employed 28,000 professionals. This is an increase of 13.9% from the previous year.
- The number of freelancers tripled to 3,600, making up 12.7% of the total workforce in the sector.
- The number of full-time employees rose by only 4.8%, marking the slowest growth since 2012.
- Overall, the British game development sector grew by 4.8% over the year, primarily driven by large studios and those focused on consoles.
- During this period, a record number of companies—248—closed or exited the market.
- The number of new startups also declined, with 166 studios founded compared to 251 in the previous period.
- The reduction in workforce and company closures were partially offset by the creation of new jobs: for 2,300 layoffs, there were 3,900 new job openings.
- London remains the fastest-growing cluster in the UK's gaming industry.