London Ranked Among Top 3 Global Games Hubs

At the start of the London Games Festival, the organizers presented a new study conducted by Unscrambled and BOP on behalf of Games London. The study confirms that both the city and the festival have developed extremely well.

However, the study's methodology raises some questions, as parts of the results are not based on traditional labour market statistics but also on AI-driven analysis of LinkedIn data. This is particularly questionable for Asian gaming hubs, where LinkedIn plays a far less significant role than in Western markets.

According to the study, over 13,700 people are employed in the games industry in London. This would make it the third-largest gaming hub in the world, behind Los Angeles with 22,600 games professionals and San Francisco with 14,100. An additional 9,000 people work in related or adjacent industries, such as service providers or tech companies involved with gaming.

Even if the exact figures are based on LinkedIn estimates and therefore difficult to compare reliably with Asian markets, London has long been considered the leading location for the games industry in Europe, not least because many US companies have established their European headquarters in the UK capital. Since Brexit, however, international companies especially from Asia are increasingly looking to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and other capital cities whithin the EU, when opening an HQ in Europe.

For the London Games Festival and the initiators behind Games London, other findings are particularly significant. Since the launch of the initiative, it has supported deals worth £110 million, and an additional £141 million in direct, indirect, and induced sales. This means that every pound invested by the Mayor of London has generated £37 in return for games companies.

“London is now a global gaming capital and Europe’s leading city, with a thriving industry bringing significant investment to our country. I'm proud to support the London Games Festival, which is a great showcase for this dynamic and growing industry,” said the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. “As the UK’s biggest games event, it generates millions for our economy and helps support our up-and-coming talent as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”

Just last week, Khan extended Games London’s funding by a further four years. The announcement was part of a £10 million investment in the capital’s creative industries.

Games London is a joint initiative by Film London and the UK industry association UKIE. The project is funded by the Mayor of London with £1.2 million over three years.