The UK games trade body Ukie has unveiled the 30 studios participating in its second Video Games Growth Programme.
This program is designed to assist ambitious studios in expanding both creatively and commercially. It receives support from the Chinese games company Tencent and the Department for Business and Trade. Participants benefit from expert-led sessions and a structured curriculum delivered by Player One Consulting, with Tencent also contributing valuable insights.
The 2026 cohort is split into two distinct groups: the Accelerator track, intended for emerging studios, and the Scale-up track, aimed at established companies seeking further expansion.
The Video Games Growth Programme was first launched in 2024.
Sir Chris Bryant, UK Minister of State for the Department for Business and Trade, highlighted the strength of the UK’s video games sector. He noted its significant growth, high-skilled talent, and global reach, contributing over £2 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and outperforming the broader creative industries in expansion, thereby supporting jobs and exports across the nation.
He further stated that with support from the Modern Industrial Strategy, which includes a new £30 million Games Growth Package, the UK is reinforcing regional clusters, fostering new studios and game titles, and solidifying its standing as Europe’s leading games market.
Ukie CEO Nick Poole commented on the new cohort, describing them as an exceptional group of studios that showcase the creativity, ambition, and diversity within the UK video games industry. He emphasized that these studios, through their advancements in design and gameplay and their talent development across the UK, underscore the nation’s continued leadership in video games. The program aims to equip them with the necessary tools for confident scaling and to support their future growth.
The full 2026 cohort for the Video Games Growth Programme includes:
Accelerator:
- Fireslug Studios
- Miami Avalon
- Outer Pixels
- Derailed Arts
- Wise Monkey Entertainment
- South Westerly Games
- Games Alchemist
- Hyperfocus Games
- Dash Games
- Grave Mistake Games
- Flora Games
- Grace Films
- Slap Bang Digital
- Seventh Disorder
- Panda Cat Games
- Team Folon
- Dink
Scale-up:
- Cloth Cat Games
- Kando Factory
- Sing King Karaoke
- BetaJester
- Mercurial Dance
- Chokepoint Creative
- Rarebit Studios
- Atelier 11
- Goldbrough Studio
- Pretty Cool Games
- Copa
- Second Star Games
- Sun & Moon Studios
