The 2026 edition of the UK Best Places to Work Awards was held on 1 October at the historic Royal Institution in London, celebrating the organisations that excel in creating supportive workplaces for their staff. The ceremony highlighted a number of standout studios, including Dink, Hangar 13, Jagex: The RuneScape Company, NaturalMotion Games, Rare, and Snap Finger Click, each of which received special recognition for their achievements. The awards event followed closely on the heels of the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, a gathering that attracted 79 delegates representing 41 different companies across the gaming ecosystem.
Attendees spanned a broad spectrum of the industry, from large AAA publishers and mid‑size studios to indie developers, as well as HR consultancies, training organisations, and academic institutions. The summit provided a platform for candid discussion about talent management, diversity, mental health, and the evolving expectations of game‑making professionals. The core of the Best Places to Work Awards comprised 25 winners distributed across three size‑based categories: small, mid‑size, and large enterprises.
Judging was based on a dual‑survey methodology, with an employee‑focused questionnaire accounting for 80 percent of the overall score and a company‑focused questionnaire contributing the remaining 20 percent. This approach ensured that the voice of the workforce was the primary driver of the results while still allowing organisations to demonstrate their strategic commitment to staff wellbeing. Key sponsors for the 2026 awards included Amiqus, Playground Games, IO Interactive, Games London, and Special Effect. Their support underscored the industry's collective belief that recognising exemplary workplace practices is essential for raising the overall standard of employment across the sector.
Liz Prince MBE, Business Manager at Amiqus, explained the synergy between the HR Summit and the awards ceremony: "What makes these events especially valuable is how well they complement each other. 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." Prince's remarks highlighted the importance of both dialogue and recognition in driving cultural change.
Playground Games’ Director of HR & Recruitment, Paul Evans, also voiced his enthusiasm: "We’re proud to support GI.Biz in recognising the UK’s best mid‑sized video game studios. These are not only teams that are creating brilliant games, but studios who are also setting the standard for what a great place to work looks like in our industry." Evans’ comment reinforced the notion that a studio's reputation for quality games is increasingly intertwined with its reputation as an employer of choice.
Among the individual accolades, Jo Haslam was honoured with the G Into Gaming award. Haslam, now Design Director at Snap Finger Click, boasts a distinguished career that includes senior roles at Mediatonic, Relentless, and the BBC.
Liz Prince presented the award, praising Haslam as "one of those rare people who leads with both empathy and action in perfect unison" and describing her as "an inspiring woman and a natural leader." In addition to the personal award, Snap Finger Click secured both a Best Places to Work Award and the Diversity Award, underscoring its commitment to inclusive hiring practices and a supportive culture. Rare repeated its success by winning the Environmental Award, a category sponsored by Games London that recognises studios taking concrete steps to reduce their ecological footprint.
Meanwhile, the Middlesbrough‑based indie studio Dink earned the Education Award, presented by Veronique Lallier, Chief Development Officer at IO Interactive, for its contributions to training and mentorship within the community. The full roster of winners, spanning a wide range of studios and support functions, was announced during the ceremony and is listed below.
A comprehensive photo gallery documenting the event is also available on the awards website. - Fireshine Games - Lively - MLC Studio - Playstack - Silent Games - Snap Finger Click - Stellar Entertainment Software - Swipe Right - Tanglewood Games - Uplift Games - Behaviour Interactive UK - Electric Square - Expression Games - Fenris Creations - Hangar 13 - HundredStar Games - Kinetic Games - Maverick Games - Rare - Studio Gobo - Wushu Studios - Frontier Developments - Jagex: The RuneScape Company - Playground Games - TT Games - Jo Haslam, Snap Finger Click - Jagex: The RuneScape Company (winner) - NaturalMotion Games - Playground Games - Rocksteady Studios - Wushu Studios - Maverick Games - NaturalMotion Games - Rare - Snap Finger Click (winner) - Dink (winner) - Electric Square - Jagex: The RuneScape Company - Rocksteady Studios - Two Point Studios - NaturalMotion Games - Playground Games - Rare (winner) - Rocksteady Studios - Behaviour Interactive UK - Hangar 13 (winner) - NaturalMotion Games - Rare - Rocksteady Studios - Behaviour Interactive UK - Jagex: The RuneScape Company - NaturalMotion Games (winner) - Playground Games - 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 (winner)