UK Video Games Market Reaches a Record £8.76 Billion
UK consumers spent £8.76 billion on video games in 2025: a 7.4% increase on the previous year, and the highest valuation the market has ever reached, according to figures released by Ukie at the London Games Festival.
Spending on software rose 7% to £6.03 billion, game hardware grew 3% to £2.17 billion, and Game Culture (video game-related film and TV) grew 42% to reach £566 million.
For anyone working in games, film, TV and media, or IP-driven creative work, it’s a clear signal: the UK games industry has more than doubled in size over the last decade and now supports over 73,000 jobs, contributing £6 billion in gross value added to the economy each year.
A Major New Skills Audit Reveals Where the Creative Sector Is Heading
Creative PEC and Work Advance have published the first sector-wide Creative Industries Skills Audits: a key commitment from the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan, funded by DCMS and the Creative Industries Council and covering eleven creative sub-sectors.
Nearly 50% of creative employers are looking to expand their workforce, but 43% report skills shortages or gaps, and 70% of those facing skills challenges say it’s hindering their operations and growth. Tellingly for a sector built on talent, nearly 40% of creative employers say they can’t afford staff training.
Alongside technical gaps, employers report a shortage of core business skills — fundraising, finance and people management. Creative businesses don’t just run on creativity; the financial and commercial foundations matter just as much!
Everything in One Place — The WallsMan Creative Knowledge Hub
Keeping up with sector news, tax changes, funding routes and practical guidance is a job in itself.
That’s exactly why we built our Knowledge Hub: a single home for everything we publish, organised so you can find what’s relevant to you without the digging.
From AI in accounting and Making Tax Digital to sector-specific guidance for sole traders and limited companies, plus our free tools and calculators, it’s all pulled together in one place.
Whether you’re a freelancer figuring out your first tax return or a growing studio planning your next move, start here.
Get the Help You Truly Deserve
WallsMan Creative is a London-based accountancy firm, and we work exclusively with creatives. We know all about your struggles related to irregular income, multiple income streams, royalties and more — and we also know exactly which tax reliefs you could be claiming!
If you want to make sense of the latest creative industry news and see what you could make of it, feel free to contact us!
Read our previous round-ups:
Creative Industry News Round-Up — April 2026: UK Screen Fund Boost, Growth Figures & Funding Opportunities
