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THE UK’S ROLE IN THE GLOBAL GAMING MARKET, HOW THE MARKET IS EVOLVING, AND HOW GROWTH CAN BRING OPPORTUNITY IF WE’RE READY TO PLAY FOR THE WIN
THE UK’S GAMES INDUSTRY isn’t in decline, but parts of the conversation sometimes make it feel that way. While headlines dwell on layoffs and budget cuts, the global market is projected to reach $188.9bn in 2025, up 3.4% from last year (According to Newzoo). In a business still growing at scale, mindset and direction matter.
My view is simple: if the UK wants to keep its
reputation as one of the world’s most creative games ecosystems, we must start playing for the win. That means backing great ideas wherever they’re found, removing friction that stops UK-based businesses operating globally, and aligning policy to how games are built in 2025.
By Harvey Elliott, Founder and CEO, Playstack
REMEMBER: IT IS A GROWTH MARKET Across two decades we’ve seen platform mixes change (physical to digital, premium to service, PC/ console to mobile and back again) but the direction of travel for games overall has remained upward. However, that doesn’t mean the ride is smooth. Investment has rotated, some projects have been burned by over-scope, and larger companies have reduced headcount while still spending in aggregate. But when an industry’s demand curve is up and to the right, your mindset needs to reflect that reality. Positivity without substance is delusion; positivity built on strategy, craft and selection bias is how you compound wins. That requires uncomfortable choices—smarter bets led as much by the head as the heart; ruthless focus on helping a defined audience love your game; and cost discipline that matches opportunity, not aspiration.
40 | MCV/DEVELOP October/November 2025
For UK teams and publishers, the implication is clear: stop planning to “survive a decline” and start planning to win share in a growing market.
WHAT’S REALLY HOLDING US BACK: FRICTION, NOT TALENT Let’s dispense with the idea that the UK lacks the creative or technical depth to compete. Look at the breadth of talent in and around the BAFTA Games Awards and the many other awards that run each year; the UK calibre is obvious. And it is important to remember that even “UK” games will often involve teams formed from talent across the globe. Our company, Playstack, is a UK founded company, but our team is shaped by the talented team we have from around the world – we consider ourselves a global games publisher looking for the best titles, wherever they are found. The real drag is friction: policy that hasn’t kept pace with globalised production; administrative overheads that dampen confidence in R&D support; and rules that unintentionally increase risk for the UK-based publisher who is investing alongside a developer. None of this is a plea for special treatment. It’s a request to match policy to the way games are actually built and financed now: globally, fluidly, with responsibilities and costs shared across borders. The winning UK strategy isn’t “do everything here.”
It’s “be here, and work with the world.” Playstack may be headquartered in the UK, with a majority of our staff here, but partnering internationally helps us bring outstanding ideas to market. That blend is what keeps us cost-efficient, competitive, and able to support developers wherever they are.
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