The Lobby – March 2026

London Games Festival returns for its biggest year yet

London Games Festival is back next month for its eleventh year and it is shaping up to be the best, and biggest year since the event began.

The London Games Festival was one of the key recipients of the Government’s Games Growth Package, a DCMS-backed initiative designed to strengthen the UK games industry’s long-term competitiveness.

That funding has unlocked a three-year development plan and allowed the festival to think considerably bigger, with an expanded industry and trade programme.

At the helm is Michael French, festival director at the London Games Festival, and Head of Games London, the year-round organisation that produces LGF and supports the wider games ecosystem in the capital.

We caught up with him ahead of this year’s festival to find out what makes London the world’s most exciting games city, what the Games Growth Package funding has made possible, and why New Game Plus should be on your radar this year.

 

What does London specifically offer the games industry that other cities can’t replicate?

“After a decade, there’s a bunch of responses I have learned by heart to answer this question. So the obvious: London is the biggest games cluster in the country with 500+ active games businesses by our count, making it also Europe’s biggest centre for games. We’ve got every part of the production chain represented – development and coding, tools including AI and engines, outsourcing and creative services, publishing, marketing and PR agencies.

We often say you could make a game, concept to release, without leaving London using talent and suppliers exclusively in the city if you wanted – and indeed some have.

London has an outstanding talent pool, lots of great connections to education, and a vibrant and expansive freelancer base. It’s a natural home to the wider creative industries, of which games is now seen as a core part by policy makers and those outside of the industry.

There’s also lots of functional things, too that are a great backdrop to all of that: London is a major financial district, the biggest city outside of Los Angeles globally for film, TV and VFX, it’s geographically perfect at GMT 0 so ideal for international calls, and so on.

A confluence of all those things I mention with an extra bit of magic – our country’s attitude, its sense of humour, open hearted approach to creativity – layered on top mean there is a specific blend of deep heritage, love of culture, modern sensibilities and vibrant talent base that you can’t get anywhere else.

I’m biased, because I was born, grew up, studied in, worked in and now technically work to support London itself. But in a global context, I’ve been to many cities in other countries that claim to have great connections with games, or say games matter to them for the week we’re in town for an event, but in my opinion they don’t compare to the UK capital.”

 

The Games Growth Package was a vote of confidence in the UK games sector from the Government, and the impact is already being felt across the festival programme.

For every £1 invested by the Mayor of London, LGF generates £37 for the economy.

How has the additional funding changed what you’re able to say “yes” to this year?

“April is merely the start of the three-year plan we have in place for our part of the DCMS’ Games Growth Package, but we’ve already been able to use the momentum to put together a bigger showcasing space for consumers and industry, and grow our core B2B programming.

The professional programme runs across Tuesday 14 April and Wednesday 15 April, packed with great things for professionals: the Games Finance Market, Games For Change London, Self-Publishing Toolkit Live Sessions, and Screen Play. Then the following two days, Thursday 16 April and Friday 17 April, feature an expanded New Game Plus, the showcase open to the public.”

Last year’s festival welcomed over 5,500 business delegates across the week, and the event reaches more than 100,000 people in total each year.

“We’ve also been able to commit to the important experimental games category through some smaller events curated around the festival and then an Experimental Zone at New Game Plus. Now Play This was a huge part of our story over the previous decade, and we’re happy to see its ethos live on through these initiatives, that engage with the deep and meaningful artistic elements of play. That’s the sort of cultural stuff you can only do effectively in the London games scene and that you don’t find at any other global games festival.”

Don’t miss out on this year’s New Game Plus on 16th & 17th April!

What’s happening at LGF this year that you’re genuinely excited to see play out?

“I won’t pick favourites… But it really comes back to New Game Plus. It’s now the only homegrown ‘expo’ the country has for showing new games to the public. We have 100 games to showcase at this event and a sold-out exhibition space, featuring developers from across the country and around the world. It’s more important than ever to showcase the work that the artists and creatives in our sector have spent hours coding and designing, and to give a platform to the various ways we love and play games.”

 

What’s the biggest challenge LGF or the UK games industry will face in the next few years?

“I think funding and funding models will continue to morph and change, not always predictably. That speaks to why our Games Finance Market is always oversubscribed. It’s an eternal issue for anyone running a business of any kind, and in games specifically, it’s both an advantage and a challenge that the business models evolve and fracture so fast – faster than we can design quality, sustainable games for them, occasionally.

Also, I think there are issues within the games industry that we need to solve as well to help out here. For one: bigger businesses need to look at more cultural patronage. Supporting festivals, artists, creators, talent and regional initiatives. There’s a tier of platforms, format holders, and the like who benefit greatly from the national ecosystem our developers have built and populate, generating significant cultural value across the country, and yet could do more to support and help us all jointly overcome future challenges.”

 

Games London runs year-round to support the games ecosystem in the city – and sometimes beyond when it comes to their annual trade mission to Helsinki. Their biggest piece of work each year is the London Games Festival, which reaches a global audience every year. The festival has a number of sub-themes and tentpole events (see link below), like the Games Finance Market, or New Game Plus. But they also deliver specific targeted programmes – an Accelerator and Game Changer – that has created an active community of businesses who in turn engage with and attend the festival too.

London Games Festival runs 13–19 April 2026. For tickets, visit https://games.london/

---

Supporting Women in the Games Industry: From Recruitment to Retention

By Liz Prince, Co-Founder of Empower-Up & Business Manager at Amiqus

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and as we move into Women’s History Month this March, there’s no better time to both celebrate the achievements of women across every sector, including those in the games industry.

The games industry has seen some progress over the past decade when it comes to at least acknowledging that women are under-represented in the workplace. After all, the numbers speak for themselves – while around half of all gamers are girls and women, they represent only a quarter to a third of the games workforce. Yet, while recruitment efforts may have improved in some areas, retention remains a persistent challenge, particularly for women navigating motherhood and caring responsibilities.

And, as Dr Marie-Claire Isaaman, CEO of Women in Games points out, this has a significant effect at leadership levels, where women are even scarcer: “The pressure point is mid-career.

“Across industries, the largest drop-off happens at the first promotion into management. Fewer women entering leadership tracks means far fewer reaching executive roles later.

“Advancement frequently relies on informal sponsorship and networks. When those networks are homogenous, progression becomes uneven. Combined with mid-career attrition across tech, the pipeline steadily contracts.

“From a business standpoint, this is leakage. Companies invest in early talent and lose that investment before it matures into senior leadership capacity.

 

From our conversations with studios and with women and other under-represented genders in the industry, one theme consistently surfaces: attracting women into games is only half the story. The real test is whether workplaces are structured in ways that allow women to thrive long-term.

Here are some thoughts on how to support women in your studio…

Move Beyond ‘Diversity Hiring’ Toward Inclusive Cultures

Are women heard in meetings? Are their ideas credited appropriately? Are promotion pathways transparent? Is there zero tolerance for harassment – not just on paper, but in practice?

Inclusive cultures are built intentionally. That means:

• Clear reporting mechanisms for inappropriate behaviour
• Leadership training focused on unconscious bias
• Transparent salary bands and promotion criteria
• Accountability at senior levels for diversity and inclusion outcomes

Women are more likely to stay in environments where they feel psychologically safe and professionally valued – not merely present.

Tackle the ‘Motherhood Penalty’ Head-On

One of the most significant retention challenges in games is the drop-off that occurs when women become mothers.

Enhanced Parental Leave Policies: Competitive maternity leave, equitable paternity leave, and shared parental leave encourage balance. When men are equally supported in taking leave, caregiving becomes normalised rather than gendered.

Phased Return-to-Work Options: A gradual return after maternity leave – reduced hours temporarily, adjusted workloads, or protected project roles – supports both performance and wellbeing.

Ultimately, retention improves when women don’t feel they must choose between family and career progression.

Mentorship and Sponsorship Matter

Formal mentorship programmes can be transformative, particularly in male-dominated environments. However, mentorship alone is not enough.

Women benefit enormously from sponsorship – senior leaders who actively advocate for their advancement, recommend them for projects, and champion them in promotion discussions.

Studios should look at:

• Cross-functional mentorship programmes
• Peer support networks for women
• Leadership sponsorship commitments tied to measurable goals

When women can see role models in senior positions – especially leaders who have navigated parenting – it sends a powerful message: you can build a sustainable career here.

Create Safe Spaces for Conversation

Retention improves when women feel comfortable discussing challenges without fear of stigma.

Employee resource groups (ERGs), women-in-games networks, and facilitated listening sessions give space for honest dialogue. But they must be backed by leadership action. Listening without implementing change erodes trust.

Leaders should regularly ask:

• What barriers are you experiencing?
• What would make this workplace sustainable long-term?
• What policies unintentionally disadvantage caregivers?

The answers may require rethinking long-held norms, but that’s precisely where progress lives.

During Women’s History Month, we celebrate pioneers who carved pathways in industries that weren’t built with them in mind. The video games industry owes much to women whose contributions were often overlooked or undervalued.

But celebration alone isn’t enough. The next chapter of progress depends not just on inviting women in – but on building environments where they can stay, grow, and lead.

Retention is not a ‘women’s issue’. It’s a talent strategy. It’s a productivity strategy. It’s a sustainability strategy.

The industry thrives when diverse perspectives shape the stories we tell and the worlds we build. Supporting women – particularly those balancing professional ambition with caregiving – ensures we don’t lose experienced, creative, and highly skilled talent at pivotal career stages.

The final word of advice comes from Dr Isaaman:“If fifty percent of your potential players are women and girls, yet your leadership and creative direction do not reflect that, you are limiting both perspective and market understanding. Diversity is not charitable, it is strategic. Gender diversity drives creativity, innovation and long-term resilience.

Collaboration is one of the strongest tools for change. And Women in Games welcomes collaboration with studios of all sizes – please get in touch and help us to make the games industry a fairer and more equitable place for women at all stages in their careers.”

The Empower-Up website has more guidance on supporting women in the industry – including the legal obligations for studios – which you can find here.

Women in Games has recently published its Manifesto which you can read here.