UK Video Games Council establishes to inform and support government policy

• Top industry figures, including Rebellion's Jason Kingsley and Outright Games' Nick Button-Brown, join a new UK video games council launched today
• They will advise government ministers twice yearly on maximising the economic and cultural impact of the UK games sector
• The council formation follows the UK government's launch of a £30 million Games Growth Package in June, recognising the importance of the sector and its workforce

Top games industry figures have come together to form the UK Video Games Council.

Chaired by Rebellion CEO and creative director Jason Kingsley, alongside Outright Games chair Nick Button-Brown, the council has been created to work in partnership with the government and support the growth and global reach of the UK games industry. 

The council will be supported by UK trade bodies Ukie and TIGA, with ongoing input from the wider industry to help shape its work and ensure broad engagement across the games sector.

Members of the UK Video Games Council are:

• Charu Desodt, Interior:Night
• Chris Van Der Kuyl, 4J Studios
• Dave Gould, T2
• Donna Orlowski, Chucklefish
• Emily Bailey, Green-BIT
• Jason Kingsley CBE, CEO and Creative Director, Rebellion (Co-Chair)
• Kirsty Rigden, Futurlab
• Maria Sayans, ustwo Games
• Nick Button-Brown, Chair, Outright Games (Co-Chair)
• Nick Poole OBE, CEO, Ukie
• Dr Richard Wilson OBE, CEO, TIGA
• Saad Choudri, Miniclip
• Tara Saunders, Larian
• Tim Varney, Microsoft

Members of the council will meet with the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism, Sir Chris Bryant, twice a year to offer strategic advice on maximising the economic, cultural and educational impact of the UK games industry. The council will also explore international collaboration, innovation and skills development.

Bryant requested that the council be established. It has been introduced in the government’s Creative Industries Sector plan.

This is part of a broader strategy to position the UK as a global leader in creativity and innovation, following shortly after the UK government launched a new £30 million Games Growth Package.

A core step forward

The UK’s video games and interactive entertainment sector is valued at £7.8 billion ($10.6bn) and is the largest in Europe by workforce, employing over 28,000 development staff across 1,757 studios.

Mobile is the country's most lucrative platform for games.

“The announcement of the UK Video Games Council marks a key milestone in our strategy to supercharge the UK’s world-leading video games and interactive entertainment industry," said Poole. 

“In an increasingly competitive global market for video games, the UK continues to stand out as a place of quality to develop new IP, invest in innovative technologies and pioneer new genres and experiences."

UK Video Games Council co-chair Jason Kingsley commented: “This is an important step forward for the UK games industry. For too long, the full potential and impact of our sector have not always been fully recognised, despite our world-class talent, renowned studios, and economic contribution.”

Of course, the UK is also home to our annual Pocket Gamer Connects London conference, which was a sold-out smash-hit this year.

Our next event, Pocket Gamer Connects Shanghai, is taking place on July 30th, 2025. Tickets are available now.