TIGA: 29% of UK studios short
- TIGA said 29% of UK games studios still reported skill shortages in its 2026 survey, even after the sector’s recent downturn eased hiring pressure. - Programming was the hardest area to staff, cited by 57% of affected studios, while 62% said shortages raised workloads and 40% increased outsourcing. - The findings follow a record UK games jobs slump in 2025, with 1,537 development roles lost. (tiga.org)
Nearly a third of UK games studios still cannot fill some roles, according to a new 2026 skills report from trade body TIGA. (gamesindustry.biz) (tiga.org) TIGA said 29% of studios in its latest survey reported skill shortages, down from about 70% across the previous three surveys during a wider industry slump. (tiga.org) (pocketgamer.biz) Among studios with shortages, 79% said the main problem was a lack of applicants with the right skills, experience or qualifications. Programming roles were the hardest to fill at 57%, versus 14% for art and 14% for design. (tiga.org) The immediate effect is landing on existing teams. TIGA said 62% of affected studios reported heavier workloads for current staff, while 40% said shortages created more need to outsource work. (tiga.org) (pocketgamer.biz) The broader commercial damage looked smaller than in earlier years. TIGA said 23% of studios reported constrained growth and 6% said they had lost business to competitors because of shortages. (tiga.org) Studios are leaning on internal fixes instead of waiting for the hiring market to recover. TIGA said 68% promoted staff internally, 57% outsourced work, 51% increased training and 47% redefined job roles. (tiga.org) The report was based on a survey run in the fourth quarter of 2025 covering companies employing more than 3,000 developers, or about 11% of the UK games development workforce. It was compiled by TIGA with support from the University of Portsmouth. (tiga.org) Hiring is still skewed toward experienced workers. PocketGamer.biz, citing the report, said 82% of recruits came from experienced hires, compared with 17% from graduates and 1% from apprentices. (pocketgamer.biz) That comes a month after TIGA said the UK games development sector had suffered its sharpest recorded decline, losing 1,537 development jobs in the year to September 2025. The same March 24, 2026 report said the total workforce fell from 28,516 to 27,347 and start-up formation dropped to a 15-year low. (tiga.org) TIGA chief executive Richard Wilson said the industry still has a “highly skilled and adaptable workforce,” but argued that closer work between studios, educators and government is needed to keep talent flowing into specialist roles. (pocketgamer.biz)
