The Supercharged Memo

It’s been a few days since Ukie’s AGM, and I’ve had some time to reflect on an incredible journey so far. When I stepped into the role of CEO just over six months ago, I spoke about being bold and ambitious for our industry’s future. Standing in front of our members at the AGM this week, I couldn’t help but feel both proud and excited about what we’ve achieved and the ambitious path we’re now on. I’ve had the privilege of traveling across the UK and beyond, meeting with developers, publishers, studios, and service providers—each a critical part of this vibrant community. Those conversations have been instrumental in shaping our vision for #Supercharged—Ukie’s new 5-year strategy and action plan. Supercharged is more than just a strategy.?

It’s a roadmap for growth, innovation, and impact in a fast-moving, increasingly competitive global landscape. The UK video games industry has a rich legacy, and it remains a global leader in creativity and innovation. But we’re not resting on our laurels. The world is changing, and if we’re to maintain our place at the forefront of this industry, we need to act now. This strategy is built around three core pillars:

• Elevating Games: Demonstrating the cultural, social, and artistic value of video games.
• Empowering Talent: Creating pathways for diverse, skilled talent to enter and thrive in our industry.
• Energising Business: Building a more competitive, supportive environment for games businesses, with a focus on advocacy, finance, and innovation. But these are more than just words—they’re actions.?

?Already, we’re laying the groundwork for a future where the UK video games industry doesn’t just keep pace, but leads the way. We’re expanding the evidence base for the industry, advocating for better financial support, pushing for the introduction of a Digital Creativity GCSE, and working to transform public perceptions of games through media partnerships and high-impact campaigns. And while Supercharged looks ahead to the next five years, our work is happening now. In just a few weeks, Westminster Games Week will take place at the heart of government. This will be a crucial moment to showcase the very best of the UK’s games industry to policymakers, parliamentarians, and the media.??

It’s a chance for us to highlight the role that games play in the UK’s creative economy and cultural life, and to discuss the challenges and opportunities we face as an industry. This year’s event will feature roundtables on topics like education, online safety, and the future of our sector, as well as showcasing the incredible talent behind some of the UK’s most innovative games. As we prepare to gather in Westminster, I’m more convinced than ever of the vital role Ukie plays as the voice of our industry. Our strength comes from the power of our community. Ukie can help convene and catalyse, but it’s all of you—developers, publishers, creators, and partners—who will help ensure that we achieve the recognition, support, and investment this industry deserves.?

Nick Poole, Ukie CEO.

Read the strategy here: Supercharged

Ukie and Tencent's Video Games Growth Programme in Full Swing: Ukie’s flagship Video Games Growth Programme is well underway, continuing its mission to empower the next generation of UK video game business leaders. This year’s cohort, including standout studios like Arrogant Pixel, Rogue Sun, Rocket Flair, and Huey Games, has been benefiting from expert advice and valuable networking opportunities as they work towards scaling their businesses. During a recent workshop, Tencent Games, a key partner in this year’s programme, engaged closely with the cohort, even filming the sessions to capture the creative energy and collaboration in action. The partnership with Tencent, who has been in the UK for over a decade, adds a wealth of experience and global insight, providing a unique boost to the programme’s participants.

Join the Ukie Education Video Games Industry Stand at Bett 2025.? Ukie Education is hosting the very first video games industry stand at?Bett , the biggest education technology exhibition in the world. We are inviting you to be one of our exhibitors for an essential opportunity to meet thousands of educators and policymakers from around the world. Together we aim to showcase the power and impact of our sector, and engage with the people shaping the future talent of the video games industry. To find out more, please contact [email protected] ?

In the news

The Times: "When Mats Steen died from a muscle-wasting disorder, his parents believed that his life had been a tragically lonely one — until hundreds of emails from strangers arrived. It turns out that he’d found friendship and even romance in a gaming community."

The Yorkshire Post: Closer collaboration between the region’s industries is beneficial for everyone. Game Republic's Jamie Sefton spoke to the Yorkshire post about the government's growth plans, the importance of partnering with other creative sectors and the power of Yorkshire.??

Bloomberg : Is Playstation's Astrobot a model for the video games industry??

MCV : Full list of this year's women in games winners.

Stories from industry

￡3.6 Million In Grant Funding To UK Immersive Arts And Artists: Over the next three years, Immersive Arts will award ￡3.6 million in grant funding to artists based in the UK, starting in October 2024. Information sessions, inspiration days and webinars with more information start this week in hashtag#Glasgow on September 25th. Immersive Arts is led by the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), with the lead hub at Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol, and Watershed as Executive Producer. The organisation works in close partnership with the University of Bristol and cultural organisations in Belfast and Derry?(Nerve Centre), Cardiff (Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru | Wales Millennium Centre) and Glasgow Cryptic). The training and showcasing programme will be led by Crossover Labs, with strategic input from Unlimited, Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network and XR Diversity Initiative Initiative and an international Advisory Board. More here.

BAFTA judge pledges to boost diversity in gaming:?A voice actor has pledged to improve diversity in gaming after becoming a fully voting member of the BAFTA Awards. Melissa Thom, from Bristol, will now have a say in the winners of the academy’s annual games awards, which recognise and reward outstanding creative achievement. As founder of the Bristol Academy of Voice Acting (BRAVA), Ms Thom has helped hundreds of students to become professional voice actors, with many working in the gaming industry. "As the popularity of gaming continues on its upwards march, it’s critical that people from all backgrounds see themselves represented in games," she said. Find out more.

Sports Interactive to appear at 2024 Black Tech Fest: Organised by Colorintech and first run in 2020, BTF is Europe’s largest technology and culture festival celebrating innovation and inclusion in the UK tech industry and beyond. BTF 2024, scheduled to be held on 10 October at Drumsheds, London, will feature a series of panel talks and workshops. "This will be a vehicle for people to talk to studio members about both Football Manager and the experience of being an individual from a diverse background in the gaming industry". More here.

Esports funding boost in Wales:?"The Creative Skills Fund was established in 2022, and its second round covers sectors including video games, film, TV, music, animation, and immersive technology.?"The importance of the creative industries to Wales is clear – it doesn't just create jobs, it is intrinsically linked to our culture, well-being and identity," said Wales Minister for Creative Industries Jack Sargeant.?

"We want a creative sector that reflects and represents its audiences, provides fair and accessible employment opportunities and attracts, develops and retains talent from all backgrounds."?Fantastic to see both sectors recognised and supported directly as part of the wider creative industries, alongside music, film, TV and immersive. Find out more.

Campaign corner

Creative Industries Minister Visit to Newcastle: Ubisoft has been celebrating its 40th anniversary in style, marking four decades of innovation and creativity in the video games industry. As part of the celebrations, the Ubisoft Reflections recently welcomed Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industries, for an exclusive visit. During his time at the studio, Bryant engaged with the team, exploring the work Ubisoft is doing to push the boundaries of games and the studio’s vital role in shaping the future of interactive entertainment.

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Featured events - October

Tuesday 8th October: Embracing feminine power with Ukie's #RaiseTheGame.?Join us for a workshop focusing on the significance of menstrual cycle awareness for women, emphasising the impact of hormonal changes on mood, energy and productivity grounded in research and neuroscience.

This event aims to encourage conversations and pose questions to participants such as:

• Have you ever noticed how your energy levels ebb and flow throughout the month?
• Have you ever got overwhelmed and felt frustrated by these hormone changes?
• What if you could more easily predict and harness these energy shifts to create better productivity and impact in and out of work?

Throughout the workshop, Jenny will tackle these questions and more by providing strategies for managing work tasks by leveraging hormonal shifts for increased creativity and decision-making. Register here.

Wednesday 9th October: Come to the Ukie office and meet the Ovomind? team and discover how you can integrate players’ emotions into your gaming experiences. On Wednesday, October 9th, Ukie will be hosting Yann Frachi and Julien Masse, the successful founders of Ovomind, at our London office (Black Bull Yard, 24-28 Hatton Wall, London, EC1N 8JH). Here, Yann and Julien will be showcasing their exciting new technology and offering 1-2-1 demos of the tech in action. Developers can expect to learn how the Ovomind DK1 Development bundle includes the first SDK that enables you to directly integrate players’ emotions into your gameplay, in real-time. Deeper experiences, increased engagement, replayability, faster testing, and increased player analytics, are all topics Yann and Julien will discuss. Register here.

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Friday 18th October:?With Ukie's #RaiseTheGame: How can leaders in the games industry cultivate a truly inclusive culture that goes beyond surface-level diversity? This event will feature thought-provoking discussions with industry leaders who have successfully navigated these challenges. You’ll gain actionable insights and strategies to implement in your own studio or business, helping you to not only meet but exceed your EDI goals. Register here.

Thursday 31st October: Join Ukie members Barclays for Scottish Games Frenzy, celebrating the incredibly talented Scottish and UK games businesses. This year they are planning to make the event even bigger and better than before. They are inviting a diverse range of studios to come exhibit at their 2024 Scottish Games Frenzy taking place on the 31st of October. This event will be a great opportunity to network, see the work of some incredibly talented studios and attend interesting round tables on important industry topics. Register here.

Into Games Sprint Courses (4-22 November)

Design Memorable Game Characters:?Master the art of 2D character creation with Lucy Kyriakidou, a renowned character designer known for her work on top-tier projects. Using industry-standard workflows and techniques, your characters will not only be visually stunning but also functional and engaging. Use code UKIEO35 for 35% off: Register. ?

Explore the key building blocks of level design:?Learn how to build a level alongside Senior Level Designer Oliver William Walker, who has a decade of experience, including work on Minecraft Dungeons, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Sniper Elite VR. Use code UKIEO35 for 35% off: Register. ?

Technical art:?Immerse yourself in technical art with Nicolas Pirot, Lead Technical Artist at ZA/UM, known for the multi award-winning game Disco Elysium. In this course, you'll build an immersive weather and time of day system in Unreal Engine 5 alongside the renowned tech artist. Use code UKIEO35 for 35% off: Register .

Develop:North Keynote speakers announced?

Tandem Events, organisers of Develop:Brighton and The Develop:Star Awards, have announced indie developer Wushu Studios as the keynote speakers for Develop:North, taking place on Thursday 14 November at The Spine in Liverpool. Hosted by Wushu’s key leadership team, Alan McDermott, Jo Daly, and Nigel Kershaw, the keynote will explore how the studio strives to shape the future of development through a people-first approach, and a positive company culture. The founders will also discuss how leadership is being reimagined in the studio, the value and challenges of collaboration post-COVID, and the benefits and pitfalls of co-development.

Also don't forget to sign up for early bird tickets here. ?If you want to be in for a chance of winning one of two free tickets, please email [email protected] with the subject line "Develop:North Comp".

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