The UK remains one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse video game development hubs. This article provides in-depth profiles of 50 of the most prominent game studios operating in the United Kingdom today. Each entry includes key facts such as location, founding date, and where to find the latest updates.
1. Rockstar North – Edinburgh
- Founded: 1988 (as DMA Design)
- Location: Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS
- Known for: Grand Theft Auto series
- Updates: rockstarnorth.com
2. Codemasters – Southam
- Founded: 1986 by Richard and David Darling
- Location: Stoneythorpe, Southam, Warwickshire, CV47 2DL
- Known for: F1 series, DiRT, GRID
- Updates: codemasters.com
3. Creative Assembly – Horsham, West Sussex
- Founded: 1987 by Tim Ansell
- Location: Spire Court, Albion Way, Horsham, RH12 1JW
- Known for: Total War series, Alien: Isolation
- Updates: creative-assembly.com
4. Frontier Developments – Cambridge
- Founded: 28 January 1994 by David Braben
- Location: 26 Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0FP
- Known for: Elite Dangerous, Planet Zoo, Jurassic World Evolution
- Updates: frontier.co.uk
5. Media Molecule – Guildford
- Founded: 2006 by Mark Healey, Alex Evans, David Smith, Kareem Ettouney
- Location: Guildford, Surrey (registered in London)
- Known for: LittleBigPlanet, Dreams
- Updates: mediamolecule.com
6. Team17 – Wakefield
- Founded: 7 December 1990
- Location: 3 Red Hall Avenue, Paragon Business Park, Wakefield, WF1 2UL
- Known for: Worms, Overcooked, indie publishing
- Updates: team17.com
7. Slightly Mad Studios – London
- Founded: 2009 by Ian Bell
- Location: 5th Floor, Mill House, 8 Mill Street, London, SE1 2BA
- Known for: Project CARS series
- Updates: via EA/Codemasters
8. Playground Games – Leamington Spa
- Founded: 2010 by Gavin Raeburn, Trevor Williams, Ralph Fulton
- Location: Rossmore House, 9 Newbold Terrace, Leamington Spa, CV32 4EA
- Known for: Forza Horizon, Fable (upcoming)
- Updates: playground-games.com
9. Roll7 – London
- Founded: 2008 by Simon Bennett, Tom Hegarty, John Ribbins
- Location: International House, 776–778 Barking Road, London, E13 9PJ
- Known for: OlliOlli, Rollerdrome
- Updates: via Private Division
10. Rebellion – Oxford
- Founded: 4 December 1992 by Jason and Chris Kingsley
- Location: Oxford, UK
- Known for: Sniper Elite, Zombie Army, 2000 AD
- Updates: rebellion.com
11. Hello Games – Guildford
- Founded: February 2008
- Location: Dolphin House, 3 North Street, Guildford, GU1 4AA
- Known for: No Man’s Sky, The Last Campfire, Light No Fire
- Updates: hellogames.org
12. Wales Interactive – Penarth
- Founded: 24 October 2011
- Location: Tec Marina, Terra Nova Way, Penarth, CF64 1SA
- Known for: Maid of Sker, The Bunker
- Updates: walesinteractive.com
12. Splash Damage – Bromley
- Founded: April 2001
- Location: Royal Court, 81 Tweedy Road, Bromley, BR1 1RG
- Known for: Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Gears Tactics
- Updates: splashdamage.com
13. Inkle Studios – Cambridge
- Founded: November 2011 by Jon Ingold and Joseph Humfrey
- Location: Cambridge
- Known for: 80 Days, Heaven’s Vault
- Updates: inklestudios.com
14. No Code (Screen Burn Interactive) – Glasgow
- Founded: August 2015
- Location: Glasgow
- Known for: Stories Untold, Observation, Silent Hill: Townfall
- Updates: screenburninteractive.com
15. d3t Ltd – Runcorn
- Founded: 2011 by Jamie Campbell and Steve Powell
- Location: Daresbury Point, Greenwood Drive, Runcorn, WA7 1UG
- Known for: Co-dev, porting, remasters
- Updates: d3tltd.com
16. Cohort Studios – Edinburgh
- Founded: February 2006
- Location: Orchard Brae House, 30 Queensferry Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2HS
- Known for: Outsourcing, MotorStorm Arctic Edge
- Updates: cohortstudios.com
17. Kwalee – Leamington Spa
- Founded: 2011 by David Darling
- Location: Southbank House, Leamington Spa, CV32 4RN
- Known for: Hyper-casual mobile games
- Updates: kwalee.com
18. Outplay Entertainment – Dundee
- Founded: 2010
- Location: 1 Explorer Road, Dundee, DD2 1EG
- Known for: Crafty Candy, mobile puzzle games
- Updates: outplay.com
19. Hutch Games – London
- Founded: 2011
- Location: 40 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9LG
- Known for: F1 Clash, Rebel Racing
- Updates: hutch.io
20. Coatsink – Sunderland
- Founded: 2009
- Location: Sunderland Software Centre, Tavistock Place, Sunderland, SR1 1PB
- Known for: Onward, Jurassic World Aftermath
- Updates: coatsink.com
21. Double Eleven – Middlesbrough
- Founded: 2009
- Location: Boho One, Bridge Street West, Middlesbrough, TS2 1AE
- Known for: Rust Console Edition, Prison Architect
- Updates: double11.com
22. Airship Interactive – Blackpool
- Founded: 2012
- Location: Avroe House, Avroe Crescent, Blackpool, FY4 2DP
- Known for: AAA art outsourcing
- Updates: airshipinteractive.com
23. Mojiworks – Guildford
- Founded: 2016
- Location: Guildford, Surrey
- Known for: Chat-based games for Snap & FB Instant
- Updates: mojiworks.com
24. Glowmade – Guildford
- Founded: 2015
- Location: Guildford, Surrey
- Known for: Creative action-adventure games
- Updates: glowmade.com
25. Lucid Games – Liverpool
- Updates: lucidgames.co.uk
- Founded: 2011
- Location: Liverpool Innovation Park, 360 Edge Lane, Liverpool, L7 9NJ
- Known for: Destruction AllStars, Geometry Wars 3
26. The Chinese Room – Brighton
- Founded: 2007 by Dan Pinchbeck
- Location: Brighton, East Sussex
- Known for: Dear Esther, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Still Wakes the Deep
- Updates: thechineseroom.co.uk
27. Rebellion North – Leeds
- Founded: Acquired in 2019 (formerly TickTock Games)
- Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Known for: Battlezone Gold (co-dev), support on Sniper Elite series
- Updates: rebellion.com
28. Sports Interactive – London
- Founded: 1994 by Paul and Oliver Collyer
- Location: 27 Great West Road, Brentford, London, TW8 9BW
- Known for: Football Manager series
- Updates: sigames.com
29. Firesprite – Liverpool
- Founded: 2012 (by former Studio Liverpool staff)
- Location: Liverpool, Merseyside
- Known for: The Persistence, Horizon Call of the Mountain (with Guerrilla)
- Updates: firesprite.com
30. NDreams – Farnborough
- Founded: 2006 by Patrick O’Luanaigh
- Location: The Meads Business Centre, Kingsmead, Farnborough, GU14 7SR
- Known for: Phantom: Covert Ops, Synapse, Ghostbusters VR
- Updates: ndreams.com
31. Sumos Digital – Sheffield
- Founded: 2003 by Carl Cavers and Paul Porter
- Location: 32 Jessops Riverside, Brightside Lane, Sheffield, S9 2RX
- Known for: Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Crackdown 3, co-dev on Hitman and Forza Horizon 4
- Updates: sumodigital.com
32. Auroch Digital – Bristol
- Founded: 2010 by Tomas Rawlings
- Location: Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road, Bristol, BS1 6UX
- Known for: Mars Horizon, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
- Updates: aurochdigital.com
33. Flavourworks – London
- Founded: 2015 by Jack Attridge and Pavle Mihajlovic
- Location: London, UK
- Known for: Erica (FMV thriller for PlayStation), HUSH-HUSH
- Updates: flavourworks.com
34. Snap Finger Click – Brighton
- Founded: 2015 by former Buzz! developers
- Location: Brighton, East Sussex
- Known for: It’s Quiz Time, Awkward, online party games
- Updates: snapfingerclick.com
35. ustwo games – London
- Founded: 2013 (as part of ustwo studio group)
- Location: 154-158 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6HU
- Known for: Monument Valley series, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
- Updates: ustwogames.co.uk
36. Red Kite Games – Leeds
- Founded: 2012 by Simon Iwaniszak
- Location: Platform, New Station Street, Leeds, LS1 4JB
- Known for: Support studio on Call of Duty, Control, Mafia: Definitive Edition
- Updates: redkitegames.com
37. Secret Mode – Nottingham
- Founded: 2021 (publishing arm of Sumo Group)
- Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
- Known for: Publishing indie titles like Little Orpheus, Dear Esther remaster
- Updates: secretmode.games
38. FuturLab – Brighton
- Founded: 2003 by James Marsden
- Location: Brighton, East Sussex
- Known for: PowerWash Simulator, Velocity series
- Updates: futurlab.co.uk
39. Dream Reality Interactive – London
- Founded: 2016 by Dave Ranyard (ex-PlayStation)
- Location: London, UK
- Known for: Arca’s Path VR, Doctor Who VR
- Updates: dreamrealityinteractive.com
40. Maze Theory – London
- Founded: 2018
- Location: 4th Floor, 1 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1NU
- Known for: Doctor Who: The Edge of Time, Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom
- Updates: mazetheory.com
41. Dlala Studios – Essex
- Founded: 2012
- Location: Chelmsford, Essex
- Known for: Battletoads (2020), working with Rare and Xbox Game Studios
- Updates: dlalastudios.com
42. Nosebleed Interactive – Newcastle upon Tyne
- Founded: 2013
- Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear
- Known for: Arcade Paradise, Vostok Inc.
- Updates: nosebleedinteractive.com
43. White Paper Games – Manchester
- Founded: 2011
- Location: Manchester, UK
- Known for: Ether One, The Occupation, Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View
- Updates: whitepapergames.com
44. Payload Studios – London
- Founded: 2013 by Russ Clarke
- Location: 137 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JE
- Known for: TerraTech
- Updates: payloadstudios.com
45. Bizarre Creations (Legacy) – Liverpool
- Founded: 1988 (closed 2011; included for historical significance)
- Location: Formerly in Liverpool
- Known for: Project Gotham Racing, Geometry Wars
- Updates: Archive only
46. Fallen Tree Games – Nottingham
- Founded: 2010
- Location: Nottingham, UK
- Known for: American Fugitive, Highrise Heroes
- Updates: fallentreegames.com
47. Just Add Water – Leeds
- Founded: 2006
- Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Known for: Oddworld series remasters, VR adaptations
- Updates: jawltd.com
48. Boneloaf – Sheffield
- Founded: 2011
- Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Known for: Gang Beasts
- Updates: boneloaf.co
49. Aardman Animations – Bristol (Games Division)
- Founded: 1972 (games division active since early 2000s)
- Location: Gas Ferry Road, Bristol, BS1 6UN
- Known for: 11-11: Memories Retold, Wallace & Gromit tie-ins
- Updates: aardman.com
50. Amuzo Games – Bournemouth
- Founded: 2014 (formerly 4T2 Multimedia)
- Location: Bournemouth, Dorset
- Known for: LEGO mobile games and branded apps
- Updates: amuzo.com
This list will be updated periodically to reflect changes in the industry.
