UK studios face heavier workloads as 62% report pressure from skill shortages

• Programming roles remain the hardest positions to fill.
• Studios rely heavily on experienced hires over graduates.
• Workload pressure rises as teams absorb skill gaps.
• Training increases, but formal qualifications remain limited.

Skill shortages are placing increased strain on existing teams in the UK as 62% of studios report heavier workloads while 40% have turned to outsourcing.

That's according to a new Skills, Training and Education Report from TIGA, which showed that while the broader business impact appears limited, 23% of companies say shortages have constrained growth.

The study, conducted with support from the University of Portsmouth, also noted that the share of studios reporting shortages has dropped from around 70% to 29% across recent surveys. 

However, 79% of affected studios still cite a lack of suitably skilled applicants as the primary challenge, with programming roles the hardest hit at 57%.

For now, studios are adapting through internal measures like promotions, training and role restructuring. On average, employees receive 13.5 training days annually, though most training does not lead to formal qualifications.

Closing the gaps 

The report further revealed that hiring remains heavily dependent on experienced talent, which accounts for 82% of recruits, compared to 17% from graduates and just 1% from apprentices. 

Despite this, teams are largely considered competent, with 89% of staff rated as fully proficient. The report also identifies gaps in leadership, communication and business development skills.

TIGA is calling for stronger collaboration between industry, education providers and government to reinforce the talent pipeline, warning that sustained investment and policy support will be critical to long-term growth.

“The UK games industry benefits from a highly skilled and adaptable workforce," said TIGA CEO Dr Richard Wilson. “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. 

“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.”

You can access the full report here.