Announcing the Winners of the 2026 UK Best Places To Work Awards

The 2026 UK Best Places to Work Awards were hosted at London’s historic Royal Institution on October 1, marking a celebratory climax to the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit. The evening highlighted a host of studios and companies that have distinguished themselves through exemplary employee policies, workplace culture, and overall commitment to staff wellbeing. Special recognitions were presented to Dink, Hangar 13, Jagex: The RuneScape Company, NaturalMotion Games, Rare, and Snap Finger Click for their standout contributions.

The awards ceremony followed a packed HR Summit that attracted 79 delegates representing 41 organisations across the gaming ecosystem. Attendees spanned large AAA publishers, mid‑size developers, indie studios, as well as specialist consultancies, training providers and academic institutions. The gathering fostered frank conversations about talent acquisition, retention, diversity, and the evolving expectations of a modern workforce.

In total, twenty‑five companies were honoured across three size‑based categories – small, mid‑size and large – each judged on a composite scoring system. Eighty percent of the score derived from an anonymous employee survey, ensuring that the voice of the workforce was paramount. The remaining twenty percent came from a detailed company questionnaire covering policies, benefits, professional development programmes and community initiatives. Key sponsors such as Amiqus, Playground Games, IO Interactive, Games London and Special Effect underwrote the awards, underscoring the industry’s collective investment in nurturing healthy workplaces.

Liz Prince MBE, Business Manager at Amiqus, explained the synergy between the summit and the awards: "The HR Summit creates space for honest discussions, shared learning and new ideas, while the Best Places To Work Awards shine a spotlight on the studios and businesses that are turning those ideas into action. Bringing the industry together to both learn from each other and celebrate success helps raise standards for everyone, and we're proud to play a part in that." Playground Games’ Director of HR & Recruitment, Paul Evans, echoed this sentiment, noting that the mid‑size studios recognised are not only delivering compelling games but also setting a benchmark for what a supportive, inclusive workplace looks like in the gaming sector. Among the individual accolades, Jo Haslam received the G Into Gaming award.

Haslam, now Design Director at Snap Finger Click after an impressive tenure at Mediatonic, Relentless and the BBC, was praised by Liz Prince MBE as "one of those rare people who leads with both empathy and action in perfect unison" and "an inspiring woman and a natural leader." Snap Finger Click also secured a Best Places to Work Award and the Diversity Award, highlighting its holistic approach to inclusion and employee satisfaction. Rare captured the Environmental Award for a second consecutive year, a prize sponsored by Games London that recognises studios taking concrete steps to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainable development practices.

Meanwhile, the education‑focused award went to Middlesbrough‑based indie studio Dink, presented by Veronique Lallier, Chief Development Officer at IO Interactive, acknowledging Dink’s commitment to nurturing talent through apprenticeships, mentorship schemes and partnerships with local colleges. The full roster of winners spans a broad spectrum of developers: - Small‑company winners: Fireshine Games, Lively, MLC Studio, Playstack, Silent Games, Snap Finger Click, Stellar Entertainment Software, Swipe Right, Tanglewood Games, Uplift Games. - Mid‑size champions: Behaviour Interactive UK, Electric Square, Expression Games, Fenris Creations, Hangar 13, HundredStar Games, Kinetic Games, Maverick Games, Rare, Studio Gobo, Wushu Studios.

- Large‑company leaders: Frontier Developments, Jagex: The RuneScape Company, Playground Games, TT Games. - Individual honours: Jo Haslam (Snap Finger Click), Yvonne Dawes (Frontier Developments), Tuoya Joe (HundredStar Games), Gary Martin (Jagex: The RuneScape Company), Carmen Martino (Playstack), Anna Stone (Playground Games), Leah Wilson (IO Interactive).

Additional category winners included: - Jagex: The RuneScape Company (overall winner) alongside NaturalMotion Games, Playground Games, Rocksteady Studios and Wushu Studios. - Maverick Games, NaturalMotion Games, Rare and Snap Finger Click (winner) in a collaborative category. - Dink (winner) with Electric Square, Jagex, Rocksteady Studios and Two Point Studios.

- Rare (winner) among NaturalMotion Games, Playground Games and Rocksteady Studios. - Hangar 13 (winner) alongside Behaviour Interactive UK, NaturalMotion Games, Rare and Rocksteady Studios. - NaturalMotion Games (winner) in a competitive field with Behaviour Interactive UK, Jagex, Playground Games. The ceremony concluded with a vibrant photo gallery capturing the excitement of the night, available on the event page for those who wish to relive the moments.

The awards not only celebrate current achievements but also set a clear agenda for the industry: to continue investing in people, fostering inclusive cultures, and championing sustainability. As the gaming sector evolves, these recognitions serve as a compass, guiding studios of all sizes toward workplaces where creativity can thrive alongside employee wellbeing.