Sumo Group's Carl Cavers Honored with OBE in New Year's Honours List

Carl Cavers, co-founder and CEO of Sumo Group, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire as part of the King's New Year's Honours. This prestigious honor is bestowed upon him in recognition of his services to the video game industry. With a career spanning 30 years, Cavers has held senior positions at Gremlin and Infogrammes before establishing Sumo in 2003 alongside Paul Porter, Darren Mills, and James North-Hearn. Sumo has gained prominence as a work-for-hire studio, developing notable games such as Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed, LittleBigPlanet 3, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure. The company has also supported the development of titles including Forza Horizon 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and Call of Duty Vanguard, while increasingly focusing on its own projects like Snake Pass and Still Wakes The Deep. A frequent winner of the GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards, Sumo has demonstrated its commitment to education and young people. Following its acquisition by Tencent in a $1.27 billion deal in 2021, the company remains one of the largest development groups in the UK, despite recent restructuring. Beyond his work at Sumo, Cavers is dedicated to supporting the wider games industry, engaging in mentorship and networking initiatives in the North of England and serving as vice president of the games industry charity SpecialEffect. Upon receiving the honor, Cavers expressed his humility and gratitude, stating, 'I'm humbled to have been recognized in the King's New Year Honours list with an OBE. As I mark my 30th year in the video game industry and 22 years since co-founding Sumo Digital, I'm reminded of the sector's evolution and the unwavering passion, enthusiasm, and creativity that defines it. I'm thankful for the opportunity to contribute to this industry and to be recognized alongside such talented individuals.'