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Here are the first finalists for the 2026 GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK
The finalists for the 2026 GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK have been announced, recognizing excellence in workplace culture and specific areas like CSR, Diversity, Education, Environment, Health & Wellbeing, and Training & Development. NaturalMotion Games leads with five special award nominations, followed by Rocksteady Studios, Jagex, Playground Games, and Rare. The winners will be celebrated at a ceremony in London on October 1, 2026, following the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit.
UK video game industry charity football match raises over £63,000 for physically disabled gamers
The video game charity SpecialEffect's One Big Game football event successfully raised over £63,000 to support physically disabled gamers. The 24-hour event featured teams from various UK game development studios, including Activision, Electronic Arts, and Xbox, competing to raise funds for adaptive gaming hardware and tools.
South of Midnight and Consume Me win big at the 2026 Games for Change Awards
The 2026 Games for Change Awards celebrated games with social impact, with South of Midnight and Consume Me taking home multiple awards including Game/Experience of the Year and Indie Breakout, respectively. The ceremony, held during the Games for Change Festival in New York City, highlighted titles from 42 countries, recognizing achievements in narrative, gameplay, community empowerment, environmental impact, health, learning, and emerging media.
Games for Change Announces 2026 Special Award Winners
Games for Change has announced the special award winners for its 2026 awards, recognizing significant contributions to social impact in gaming. Jenn Panattoni will receive the Vanguard Award, thatgamecompany the Industry Leadership Award, and SpecialEffect the Giving Award for their work in advancing social causes through games and technology.
Jingle Jam announces charity partners for 2026 and presents 2025 awards
The annual charity event Jingle Jam has announced its eight charity partners for December 2026, including returning organizations like War Child UK and WWF, and new partners such as Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. The event also celebrated its 2025 achievements, raising over £3.5 million and presenting awards to key content creators and industry partners like The Spiffing Brit, Facepunch Studios, and Fireshine Games.
TIGA GAMES INDUSTRY AWARDS 2026 OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS – CELEBRATING THE BEST IN UK GAMES
TIGA, the trade association for the UK games industry, has opened nominations for the 2026 TIGA Games Industry Awards. The awards celebrate excellence in creativity, innovation, and business success across UK game developers, publishers, educators, and service providers. The ceremony will take place in London in November 2026, with categories including 'Games Awards' and 'Business of Games Awards', alongside special accolades for Outstanding Individual and Game of the Year.
"More charities than ever are looking at games": Meet Cause+Select, the platform linking the games industry to top charities
Ctrl+Impact founder Wayne Emanuel has launched Cause+Select, a platform designed to connect charities with the video games industry for mutually beneficial partnerships. The platform aims to streamline collaborations, offering charities a way to navigate the gaming space and for developers and publishers to find strategic charitable initiatives. Cause+Select is currently in beta and free for game companies, with charities paying a nominal fee.
XSOLLA BRINGS ACCESSIBILITY, SOCIAL IMPACT, AND ENTERTAINMENT IP LICENSING WITH XSOLLA AGENCY TO LONDON GAMES FESTIVAL 2026
Xsolla is participating in the London Games Festival 2026 with initiatives focused on gaming accessibility, social impact, and entertainment IP licensing. The company is involved in a charity campaign with Stevenage FC and SpecialEffect to fund accessible gaming setups, will present at the inaugural Games for Change London Summit, and will highlight its Xsolla Agency services for IP licensing at Games Meets Music The B-Side.
XSOLLA AND STEVENAGE FC LAUNCH CHARITY CAMPAIGN WITH SPECIALEFFECT TO MAKE GAMING ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL
Xsolla and Stevenage FC have launched a charity campaign with SpecialEffect in the UK to make gaming accessible for all. Xsolla is donating 50 accessible gaming setups and a percentage of jersey sales to SpecialEffect, aiming to support disabled gamers and foster inclusion within the gaming community.
“Gaming gave me my life back”: why accessible video games are transforming disabled players’ lives
Dr. Mick Donegan, founder of SpecialEffect, discusses how accessible gaming technology is transforming the lives of disabled individuals by fostering social connection and independence. Companies like Xbox and PlayStation are increasingly adopting inclusive design, with SpecialEffect leading efforts in mobile accessibility and eye-tracking games.
