North West games development sector defies national trend

The North West has emerged as one of the most resilient video games development regions, according to new research published by TIGA, the trade association representing the sector in the UK.

The latest TIGA Making Games in the UK report shows that almost every UK video games development region experienced contraction between May 2024 and September 2025. In contrast, only three regions recorded growth in full-time equivalent (FTE) development headcount: the North West (1.9 per cent), the East of England (1.4 per cent) and the North East (0.8 per cent).

The North West now employs 3,170 FTE development staff across 156 companies, accounting for 13.3 per cent of the UK games development workforce, making it the third largest games development cluster in the country, behind London and the South East.

Between 2024 and 2025, the North West added around 60 FTE development roles, increasing its share of the national workforce despite a challenging period for the sector. By comparison, London lost 571 FTE development staff (a 9.6 per cent decline), while the South East shed 387 roles (an 8.1 per cent decline). The report also highlights a widespread slowdown in start-up activity across the UK. Almost all regions saw a fall in the number of new games businesses, with London recording 40 fewer start-ups.

Despite these national trends, the North West has maintained its position as a major centre for UK games development, building on a strong base of established studios and a skilled workforce.

Dr Richard Wilson OBE, TIGA CEO, said:

“While the UK games industry has gone through a difficult period, the North West stands out as one of the few regions to achieve growth in development employment. Its performance underlines the importance of strong regional clusters and the fact that the UK games industry is not dependent on London alone.

“With more than 13 per cent of the UK’s games development workforce, the North West continues to play a vital role in the success and resilience of the UK games sector.”