Skill shortages in the UK games industry have eased after the sector’s steepest decline. However, some studios still face challenges due to a lack of qualified candidates and changing skill requirements.
That’s according to trade body TIGA, which recently published its Skills, Training, and Education in the Games Industry report in partnership with the University of Portsmouth.
Among the 29% of studios experiencing skills shortages, 79% identified a lack of applicants with the required skills, experience, or qualifications as the primary causes.
Respondents reported that programming is the most difficult role to fill, with over half of studios experiencing issues. In comparison, only 14% reported shortages in art and design roles.
The main impacts of these shortfalls are increased workloads for existing staff (62%) and a higher reliance on outsourcing (40%).
To address these shortages, companies are promoting internally (68%), outsourcing work (57%), and increasing training for existing staff (51%). Each worker receives an average of 13.5 days of training.
The industry relies heavily on experienced hires, who make up 82% of new recruits, while graduates account for 17% and apprentices 1%.
TIGA’s data shows that 89% of teams are fully proficient in their roles. However, 31% of respondents identified gaps in leadership and management skills. Additionally, 25% noted issues with communication skills.
In response, TIGA is urging the UK government to strengthen the games industry talent pipeline by focusing on the following areas:
- Improving core subjects in schools, investing in higher education, and ensuring vocational qualifications align with industry needs
- Reviewing incentives for smaller studios to expand training
- Supporting greater flexibility in apprenticeships and providing incentives for training and internships
- Maintaining an effective migration system to attract highly skilled international talent
“The UK games industry benefits from a highly skilled and adaptable workforce,” said TIGA CEO 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.”
Wilson continued: “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.”
34 game companies employing 3,064 developers, representing 11% of the UK’s industry workforce, responded to TIGA’s survey in Q4 2025.
At the time of the survey, the industry employed nearly 27,350 full-time equivalent roles across 2,110 games companies. In many studios, over 80% of the development workforce holds a degree or higher.
