Tanglewood Games, who assisted on the development of Unreal Engine titles like Hogwarts: Legacy and Sea of Thieves, have expressed the need for government support of the UK gaming industry. This comes amid trade body TIGA suggesting that more tax credit could go a long way to supporting the industry, which it calls “disadvantaged.”
The report by TIGA specifically outlines the importance of smaller studios, which aligns with Tanglewood Games’ message that access to this industry should be made easier, in light of socio-economic challenges
UK Gaming Industry is Lagging Behind
With a number of iconic developers situated in the UK, it may come as a surprise to hear that its once burgeoning games market is now on the decline.
TIGA’s findings demonstrated that the UK gaming industry does significantly contribute to the country’s overall economy, employed over 70,000 people, but the tax relief rate for game development in other countries is higher.
For example, it is 20.4% compared to Australia and France’s 30%, putting further strain on studios.
TIGA suggests a 53% tax credit for games with budgets up to £23.5m would “help small studios scale up and grow.”
Greater Access For Developers
As of 2023, the vast majority of UK developers were situated in London.
This means those located live in other parts of the country have more limited access to roles in this industry.
Tanglewood credits games studios for being a vital aspect of local economies, but the skill-barrier and lack of investment hurts their accessibility. Jonathan Brash, MP for Hartlepool, supports Tanglewood Games’ sentiment and is looking to find ways of increasing sustainable development in the area.
Prominent UK Developers
Creative Assembly (Total War), Playground Games (Forza), Rebellion (Sniper Elite) are all situated in the UK, as is Team 17 – the developer of games like Worms and publisher of many more, some of which weren’t developed in the UK, such as the popular metroidvanias in the Blasphemous series.
This is before you consider the branches of international studios like Rockstar or Zenimax.
