Britain’s video games industry is at risk of haemorrhaging talent and intellectual property to more nimble overseas rivals unless Whitehall moves swiftly to sharpen its tax and investment incentives, a leading advisory firm has warned.
With France, Ireland and Australia aggressively courting studios through increasingly generous reliefs, the UK’s reputation as a global gaming powerhouse, home to franchises from Grand Theft Auto to Tomb Raider, could begin to slip, according to audit, tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.
Speaking during London Games Festival week, Mandy Girder, a partner at the firm, said the sector urgently needed the Government to “level up” its support if Britain was to keep its seat at the top table of global games development.
“Without decisive action from the Government, the UK risks losing both talent and intellectual property to other countries,” she said. “France, Australia and Ireland are offering increasingly generous and accessible incentive regimes designed to attract investment.”
The London Games Festival, now a fixture in the industry calendar, has put a spotlight on British creativity, but Girder cautioned that creativity alone would not keep the UK ahead of the pack.
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