Update: UK Boosts Creative Industries, UKIE and TIGA Welcome Commitment

The 10-year vision for the UK as a modern industrial location presented on 23 Juni brings concrete funding commitments for the British creative and games industries. Both industry associations, UKIE and TIGA, are delighted.

As we have only just discovered, in addition to its press release on Friday, the British industry association TIGA also published a detailed statement on the Games Growth Package yesterday, Monday, after the details were published in the sector plan. In it, TIGA expressly welcomes, among other things, the expansion of the UK Games Fund, which the association has been campaigning for for many years. The association also welcomes the support for the London Games Festival and the establishment of a Games Council.

"The £30 million Games Growth Package is good for developers, good for studios and good for the wider economy. Our industry is already economically important and has significant potential. It’s also very encouraging to see the creative industries identified as one of the Government’s 8 priority sectors, and that the video games industry will be prioritised as one of a small number of ‘frontier industries with the greatest growth potential’. TIGA looks forward to championing UK developers, educators and service providers and working with the Government to drive our sector forward", says TIGA CEO Dr. Richart Wilson.

And Jason Kingsely CBE, TIGA Chairman and CEO and Creative Director at Rebellion, adds: "I’m delighted that the Government has recognised the value of our industry and will be investing in growth. It’s excellent to see some of the measures that TIGA has campaigned for reflected and included in the Government’s Industrial Strategy and Sector Plan. Our sector generates high skilled jobs across the country and exports around the world. TIGA looks forward to working with the Government to help more UK studios scale-up and succeed."

Original News from 23.6.2025 - 12:26:

UK Wants to Boost Creative Industries, UKIE Welcomes Funding Commitments

The 10-year vision for the UK as a modern industrial location presented today brings concrete funding commitments for the British creative and games industries. The UKIE association is delighted, not least because it plays a leading role in the new UK Video Games Council and UK Games Skills Network.

In a comprehensive announcement today, the British government presented its vision of the UK as a modern industrial location. The UK sees great growth potential in eight different industrial sectors in particular and has announced corresponding support measures in the paper presented today. One of these sectors is the creative industry, which includes the games industry, and for which the British government has set ambitious goals.

The creative industries have grown 1.5 times faster than the rest of the British economy in recent years. In a global comparison, they are already operating from a position of strength. That is why the goals are particularly ambitious: "By 2035, the UK will be recognised as the best place in the world to make and invest in film and TV, videogames, music, performing and visual arts, and advertising and marketing", states the plan paper for the sector.

Later, the British government also provides specific details in its 80-page plan for the creative industries. However, the concrete measures rightly refer to the next three years and not to the complete 10-year vision. This also applies to the measures for the games industry, which has been identified as one of the growth drivers within the creative industries.

Among other things, the government announces a £30 million Games Growth Package, which will benefit both the UK Games Fund and the London Games Festival. There is also a clear commitment to continuing the Video Games Expenditure Credits. In addition, the government has announced the establishment of a new UK Video Games Council, in which industry representatives will work closely with the government to provide optimal support for the growth of the industry. And later this year, the UK Games Skills Network is set to publish a video games skills strategy based on the findings of the Creative Industries Council Skills Audit currently underway. The aim is to optimise training and further education in the gaming sector and close any skills gaps.

"We look forward to working in partnership with government and others to ensure this support helps supercharge the next generation of UK games and studios"
- Nick Poole, CEO UKIE

As expected, the plan has been well received by industry associations. UKIE CEO Nick Poole says: "Today’s announcements mark a landmark moment for the UK video games industry and reflect the power of sustained, collaborative advocacy by Ukie and our members. We warmly welcome the government’s clear commitment to our sector through its wider Industrial Strategy, which includes a dedicated Creative Industries Sector Plan. This strategic approach recognises the unique role creative sectors like video games play in driving future growth, innovation, and global competitiveness. The package of targeted support announced today, including enhanced investment in the UK Games Fund, renewed backing for the London Games Festival, and increased funding for the British Business Bank, will make a meaningful difference to games businesses across the UK."

"The creation of a UK Video Games Council and a UK Games Skills Network, led by Ukie, further signals a strong recognition of the sector’s strategic importance to the UK’s economic future and talent pipeline. The UK video games industry is one of our greatest creative success stories, and today’s announcements provide the tools to build on that success. We look forward to working in partnership with government and others to ensure this support helps supercharge the next generation of UK games and studios," Poole continued.

"The reinforced UK Games Fund will help more small studios to scale-up and grow"
- Dr Richard Wilson

TIGA CEO Dr Richard Wilson also commented on the announcement of the plan last week: "The video games industry provides high skilled jobs, is export focused and supports economic growth across the UK. The Games Growth Package is great news. In particular, the reinforced UK Games Fund will help more small studios to scale-up and grow, while the funding for London Games Festival will highlight the capital’s position as one of the most significant games clusters in Europe."

Unlike Germany, the United Kingdom is already considered not only one of the most important sales markets for games, but also a top production location. Numerous global successes in the gaming industry originate from British studios. The fact that the British government nevertheless considers it necessary to increase its support shows how important the efforts in Germany are to ensure that the German industry can also operate on an equal footing in the key digital market of gaming.

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