Does the UK video games industry have a class problem?

The UK video games industry is facing questions about whether it is truly open to everyone, especially people from working-class and low-income backgrounds. Chris Goodyear, a producer who works to make games more accessible, has expressed concern that the industry could become exclusive, much like theatre, which is often seen as something only privileged people can participate in. This issue was discussed at Develop:Brighton, one of the UK’s biggest conferences for video game developers. For the first time, the event included a special meet-up for people from working-class and low-income backgrounds, organized by the non-profit group Into Games. Declan Cassidy, the CEO of Into Games, started the organization six years ago to help people who are underrepresented in the games industry. Over time, the group decided to focus specifically on social mobility, as Declan noticed that not many others were working to help people from poorer backgrounds get into games.

In 2024, Into Games published a report that found a large number of people from working-class and low-income families were entering educational programs related to games. However, not many of them were actually getting jobs in the industry after finishing their studies. Declan Cassidy said these people were being let down at the final stage. The report pointed out several barriers that make it hard for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds to break into the games industry. These include where they live, not having enough money, not having the same cultural experiences as others, and not knowing the right people. The report also revealed that 59 percent of people surveyed said they had felt like outsiders at some point in their careers. Will Luton, who founded Village Studio Games, attended the event in Brighton and shared that he had experienced clear discrimination because of his class. He said he often felt the need to change the way he spoke so people wouldn’t know where he was from. Will believes that people like him, who have managed to get into the industry, should help raise awareness about the problem, instead of acting like it no longer exists just because they made it.

The report also showed that only 13 percent of people in the games industry come from lower socio-economic backgrounds, which is much lower than in film and TV, where the number is 29 percent, or in music and visual arts, where it is 22 percent. Nick Poole, who leads the games industry group Ukie, said that while there is plenty of talent, the real problem is a lack of opportunity. He argued that if the industry wants to tell real stories, it needs to make sure that young, talented people who don’t have much money can find their way in. Declan Cassidy hopes that Into Games can help more working-class people find their place in the games industry, which has been going through tough times around the world. The organization plans to focus its support on six areas in the UK: Birmingham, Brighton, Dundee, London, Manchester, and Tees Valley, over the next five years. Their support will include outreach in schools, paid internships, and government-funded training. More than 100 game studios have agreed to take on working-class talent through these programs in 2025 and 2026. Declan’s goal is to increase the number of people from working-class backgrounds in the UK games industry by 50 percent by 2030. He believes this would be a huge benefit for game studios and the industry as a whole.