TIGA Warns of Skills Crisis: 29% of UK Studios are Struggling to Find Talent in 2026

Findings from the 2026 TIGA Report

The Independent Game Developers’ Association (TIGA), the trade association representing the video games industry in the UK, has published its Skills, Training and Education in the Games Industry 2026 report. The report surveyed game companies employing approximately 11% of the UK games development workforce, and the research was compiled in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth, an institution recognised as a “long-standing leader in games education and industry collaboration”.¹ 

The report’s findings highlight that the UK games industry is in a difficult position, where there is a strong pipeline of degree-educated, skilled graduates, and a proficient workforce, yet it suffers from significant skill shortages, particularly in specialist and emerging roles.² 

While there has been a significant improvement from previous surveys, the report reveals that around 29% of game studios are facing skills shortages, with 57% of respondents reported being unable to find staff skilled in programming, 14% unable to find skilled staff in art or design, and 7% struggling to find skilled staff in community management or data science.³ Amongst the studios experiencing skills shortages, 79% identified the issue as a lack of applicants with the required skills, experience, or qualifications.⁴ 

A Persisting Issue: The 2024–2025 Downturn

The 29% figure is significant, yet is somehow an improvement from the period termed “the sector’s steepest decline”,⁵ between May 2024 and September 2025, where it was said that the UK games development sector is experiencing the “most severe downturn on record”, as employment rates were falling 4.5% year-on-year.⁶ During this period, TIGA reported that 10.2% of all companies in the UK games industry left or were shut down, and the formation of new studios fell by over 30% for the third consecutive year.⁷ The downturn was attributed to “weak global sales, poor early-stage financing, and post-pandemic restructuring“.⁸

The Human Cost: Overwork and the Lack of Talent Development

While the situation seems to have eased since then, TIGA’s new report nevertheless emphasises a significant challenge for studios and their employees. As experienced staff is lacking, existing employees are typically forced to take on more work, with 62% of survey respondents indicating an increased workload due to shortages.⁹ To alleviate some of the concerns that arose with the increased workload, 68% of studios reported making internal promotions, 51% increased training for existing staff, and 47% opted for redefining job roles.¹⁰

On top of the increased workload, the shortage has led 40% of respondents to outsource work because the specialist skills necessary were not available.¹¹ Perhaps the most significant challenge reported was the prioritisation of relying on experienced workers over training newcomers, with 85% of new hires in the UK games industry reportedly taken from ‘existing industry practitioners’, compared to a mere 17% of graduates, and 1% of apprentices.¹² This presents an obvious problem and perhaps a positive feedback loop, where the higher reliance on experienced staff, without training new talent, leads to increased skills shortages.

TIGA reported that 89% of the workforce in the UK games industry was ‘fully proficient’ in their respective roles,¹³ meaning that the industry enjoys an incredibly competent workforce, yet nevertheless, the lack of early career development may be amplifying the skills shortage challenge. 

TIGA CEO Richard Wilson commented on the paradox, stating:

“The UK games industry benefits from a highly skilled and adaptable workforce… Skill shortages have eased in line with the wider industry downturn, but they have not disappeared. Some studios continue to experience skill shortages in key areas, including programming. Encouragingly, studios are responding by investing in training, promoting from within and adapting their workforce strategies. However, we need to strengthen the talent pipeline further”.¹⁴

TIGA’s Eight-Point Plan

In order to strengthen the talent pipeline, Wilson suggests: “Closer collaboration between industry and education, alongside targeted policy support, will be essential to ensure that the UK continues to produce the highly skilled people needed to sustain growth in the UK video games development sector“.¹⁵

In that regard, TIGA is appealing to the UK government to help strengthen the games industry talent pipeline, suggesting a strong focus on the following 8 points:

• 1. Improve attainment in Maths and English at schools, while simultaneously providing access to creative and arts education
• 2. Maintain sustainable funding for further education in order to ensure that vocational qualifications meet industry needs and support progression to higher education
• 3. Ensure strong investment in universities and encouraging games industry collaboration, for example though industrial secondments
• 4. Incentivise smaller studios to expand training efforts 
• 5. Ensure that new vocational pathways, such as V Levels, provide sufficient breadth for games education
• 6. Support flexibility in the apprenticeships system 
• 7. Maintain an immigration system which allows studios to recruit highly skilled international talent
• 8. Support industry placements and internships to allow students to gain practical experience and thus improve employability.¹⁶

The recommendations’ focus on education were echoed by Dr Neil Dansey, Programme Lead (Games) in the School of Film, Media and Creative Technologies at the University of Portsmouth, stating: “While it is encouraging to see the strength of the UK’s education pipeline and the high level of workforce proficiency, the findings highlight the continued need to align education closely with industry requirements. Strengthening collaboration between universities and games studios will be essential to ensure graduates are equipped with the technical, creative and professional skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing sector”.¹⁷

Takeaways: Why the World Must Act Together

The UK video games industry is extremely significant on a global scale, as was iterated by Richard Wilson: “The UK video games industry is the largest in Europe, has world-class talent, studios and universities, and previous TIGA research with the University of Portsmouth shows that the sector generates £12 billion in GVA”.¹⁸

Back in the sector’s steepest decline, Wilson explained:

“Without decisive policy intervention, the UK risks losing thousands of highly skilled jobs and ceding ground to better-supported international competitors”.¹⁹ 

While the situation seems to have eased since then, the author believes that Wilson’s warning still stands. In a time where we are seeing a global crisis in the video games industry, with mass layoffs, geopolitical turmoil, and rising hardware prices, TIGA’s report exposes a critical problem for the UK video games industry’s future.  As the existing workforce continues being overworked, and young talent receives minimal training, we are due for a future defined by a diluted talent pool and a decline in creative output. 

This issue is further exacerbated by studios’ reliance on GenAI in game development, which potentially bypasses the need for junior roles and thus further diminishes the talent pipeline. The author therefore echoes Wilson’s warning, as without decisive policy intervention, with a focus on education and funding, the UK video games industry is threatened by a dark future, where the UK will lose its position as Europe’s leading games hub.   

The author also believes that, while TIGA’s report focuses on the UK, it is hard to believe that other major industries aren’t grappling with identical issues. Therefore, the author urges for a collective demand in global funding, specialised education, and strategic investment in gaming industries around the world. Without a unified response, we risk a total crash of the game industry, as was argued by Brenda and John Romero, founders of the Irish studio Romero Games.²⁰

1.  Matt Broughton, ‘Industry News: TIGA report highlights ongoing skills challenges in UK games industry as studios invest in training and adaptation’ (MCV/DEVELOP, 28 April 2026) https://mcvuk.com/business-news/industry-news-tiga-report-highlights-ongoing-skills-challenges-in-uk-games-industry-as-studios-invest-in-training-and-adaptation/ accessed 30 April 2026.
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2.  ibid.
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3.  David Tiley, ‘UK video games industry: skills shortages’ (ScreenHub, 29 April 2026) https://www.screenhub.com.au/news/industry-news/uk-video-games-industry-skills-shortages-2698876/ accessed 30 April 2026.
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4.  Sophie McEvoy, ‘TIGA: 29% of UK games studios continue to face skill shortages’ (GamesIndustry.biz, 29 April 2026) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/tiga-29-of-uk-games-studios-continue-to-face-skill-shortages accessed 30 April 2026.
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5.  ibid.
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6.  Sophie McEvoy, ‘TIGA: UK games dev sector faces “most severe downturn on record”’ (GamesIndustry.biz, 24 March 2026) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/tiga-uk-games-dev-sector-faces-most-severe-downturn-on-record accessed 30 April 2026.
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7.  ibid.
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8.  ibid.
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9.  David Tiley, (n 3).
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10.  David Tiley, (n 3).
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11.  David Tiley, (n 3).
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12.  David Tiley, (n 3).
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13.  David Tiley, (n 3).
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14.  Sophie McEvoy, ‘TIGA: 29% of UK games studios continue to face skill shortages’, (n 4).
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15.  Sophie McEvoy, ‘TIGA: 29% of UK games studios continue to face skill shortages’, (n 4).
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16.  TIGA Staff, ‘TIGA report highlights ongoing skills challenges in UK games industry as studios invest in training and adaptation’ (TIGA, 23 April 2026) https://tiga.org/news/tiga-report-highlights-ongoing-skills-challenges-in-uk-games-industry-as-studios-invest-in-training-and-adaptation accessed 30 April 2026.
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17.  ibid.
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18.  Sophie McEvoy, ‘TIGA: UK games dev sector faces “most severe downturn on record”’, (n 6).
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19.  Sophie McEvoy, ‘TIGA: UK games dev sector faces “most severe downturn on record”’, (n 6).
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20.  James Batchelor, ‘”We were there in the ’80s for the crash, and this is definitely crashier”: John and Brenda Romero reflect on the industry crisis’ (GamesIndustry.biz, 26 March 2026) https://www.gamesindustry.biz/we-were-there-in-the-80s-for-the-crash-and-this-is-definitely-crashier-john-and-brenda-romero-reflect-on-the-industry-crisis accessed 30 April 2026.
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