Membership in UK Video Game Developer Unions Sees Significant Uptick

There has been a substantial increase in membership for the IWGB Game Workers union, with numbers rising by almost half between December 2022 and December 2023. According to an article in The Observer, this surge in membership is largely a response to the widespread layoffs occurring throughout the gaming industry. Austin Kelmore, chair of the IWGB Game Workers branch, noted, "In light of the recent layoffs, people are recognizing the importance of joining unions, which has led to an explosion in our membership. In fact, we saw the highest number of new members in a single month in our five-year history towards the end of last year." The report also mentions that Ukie, a trade body, estimates approximately 900 of the 11,100 job losses in the gaming industry were based in the UK. The UK gaming industry has been affected by significant job losses, with the recruitment firm One Player Mission ceasing operations after 26 years. Additionally, Riot Games announced that it would be cutting 530 staff positions.