Inaugural Members of UK Video Games Council Announced, Including Jason Kingsley CBE and Nick Button-Brown

The UK government has officially introduced the members of the UK Video Games Council, a newly established body designed to collaborate with the government in fostering growth, innovation, and global reach within the UK's video games and interactive entertainment industry. The council will be overseen by Sir Chris Bryant MP, Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism. The founding members, led by co-chairs Jason Kingsley CBE, CEO of Rebellion Games, and Nick Button-Brown, chair of Outright Games, include a diverse range of industry professionals: Jason Kingsley CBE, CEO and Creative Director of Rebellion; Nick Button-Brown, Chair of Outright Games; Emily Bailey of JECO; Saad Choudri of Miniclip; Charu Desodt of Interior:Night; Kirsty Rigden of Futurlab; Dave Gould of T2; Chris van der Kuyl CBE, FRSE, of 4J Studios; Donna Orlowski of Chucklefish; Nick Poole OBE, CEO of Ukie; Tara Saunders of Larian; Maria Sayans of ustwo Games; Tim Varney of Microsoft; and Dr Richard Wilson OBE, CEO of TIGA. Minister Bryant emphasized the significance of the video games sector to the UK's creative industries, stating, "The UK's video games sector is a world leader and a crucial component of our creative industries. As outlined in our Creative Industries Sector Plan, our goal is to establish the UK as the premier global destination for creativity and innovation." He added, "To achieve this, I have asked the industry to establish a new UK Video Games Council, which will play a vital role in representing the sector's views. I look forward to collaborating with the council members to support the continued success of our exceptional games industry." The council will receive support from UKIE and TIGA, with all members serving an initial term of up to three years. They will convene twice annually to provide strategic guidance on unlocking the full economic, cultural, and educational potential of the UK games industry. The establishment of the UK Video Games Council is part of a broader initiative that includes a £30m injection to expand the UK Games Fund, aiming to support British game development.