Since 2016, the UK has seen an increase of over 31% in the number of active games companies, games service providers and games-related academic institutions, which means that there are now 2,555 games businesses across the UK.
A research commissioned by Gembyte.com took a closer look at the data by The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) to find out where the games businesses are located. By doing so, the researchers came up with a list of the best regions, cities, and towns for everyone dreaming of a successful gaming career in the UK.
Out of the 2,555 businesses, the vast majority are located in England, 2,001, 108 are in Scotland, 59 in Wales, while 38 games businesses are located in Northern Ireland.
When it comes to regions, Yorkshire and the Humber has the highest number of active games businesses, 128. It is followed by West Midlands with 125 businesses and East Midlands, which has 104 games businesses.
| City | Number of companies |
| London | 713 |
| Manchester | 75 |
| Brighton | 72 |
| Guildford | 71 |
| Slough | 63 |
| Cambridge | 45 |
| Bristol | 42 |
| Sheffield | 38 |
| Leamington Spa | 36 |
| Edinburgh | 30 |
| Nottingham | 26 |
| Leeds | 26 |
Looking at the specific towns and cities, the vast majority of the games businesses are located in London, 713.
London is followed by Manchester with its 75 businesses, Brighton with 72 businesses, and Guildford, where 71 games businesses are located.
Out of the top 12 towns and cities, Edinburgh is the only city outside of England on the list; with 30 games businesses, Scotland’s capital is on the 10th place.
