The idea that the East of England could become the UK’s next major force in Games is presented not as distant ambition but as a live and immediate opportunity. Beyond Entertainment: Games in the East 2025, released by Norwich University of the Arts and Connected Innovation, opens with a clear message. The building blocks of a high value regional Games sector are already in place. With targeted support the East of England games cluster could become a national leader in creative technology, immersive media and applied digital innovation.
The report positions this potential growth against the backdrop of a global Games industry worth $190 billion, and a UK sector contributing £6 billion GVA while employing over 28,000 people. It highlights that 80 per cent of those roles are based outside London. This distribution is significant. It creates space for regions like Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to leverage their talent pipelines and innovation assets to deliver both cultural and economic impact. The report notes that hundreds of people in the East are already working in Games, either within regional studios or as part of globally distributed teams contributing to major titles such as Fable, Fortnite and Sea of Thieves.
The East is portrayed as a region with rising momentum. Studios like Newfangled Games, Glowfrog Games and Fairer Games are presented as examples of what is already possible. Their commercial success, award recognition and licensing deals illustrate the capability of local creators to compete in a crowded marketplace. These achievements, though individually modest compared to large national clusters, collectively form evidence of a developing ecosystem that could be accelerated through coordinated investment.
Professor Ben Stopher, Vice-Chancellor of Norwich University of the Arts, expresses this clearly. “This report shows how the East can turn creative excellence into economic strength. We have the research capability, the creative energy and the talent pipeline to be a powerhouse of digital growth.” His statement emphasises the report’s central theme. Creative output and educational quality are necessary but not sufficient. Structures that retain talent, support founders and connect expertise are required to translate potential into measurable economic return.
The report calls for six key interventions designed to unlock this next phase of development. At the centre of these recommendations is a proposal to establish a Norwich Games Hub. This would serve as a focal point for the East of England games cluster, offering early stage studios support through the long pre revenue period typical of Games production. It would also act as a retention mechanism for graduates from Norwich University of the Arts, the University of East Anglia and other local institutions who often leave the region to pursue opportunities elsewhere. The report states that each departing graduate represents lost regional productivity.
The second intervention advocates for a regional Games Fund. This fund would address the recognised challenge of access to finance for Games businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk. The report highlights that angel investors in the region have not yet engaged fully with Games, leaving early stage studios dependent on oversubscribed programmes such as Akcela. A dedicated fund would signal confidence in the sector’s long term potential and help attract co investment through national schemes.
Cross sector collaboration is the third proposed intervention. The report notes substantial opportunities for game engines, interactive design and immersive technologies to influence areas such as healthcare, agritech, clean energy and environmental research. It references the region’s pioneering assets, including the Immersive Visualisation and Simulation Lab and the Virtual Production Studio at Norwich University of the Arts, both part of the AHRC World Class Labs portfolio. These facilities enable innovation that extends beyond entertainment, offering simulation tools and visualisation capabilities that can support research, planning and service delivery in multiple industries. The report’s emphasis on applied Games reflects wider national interest in the £1.3bn “spillover” value attributed to game technology by UKIE.
A fourth recommendation calls for a Games Industry Showcase linked to Norwich Games Festival. This initiative is intended to strengthen the visibility of the East of England games cluster, attract investors and provide a platform for business development. The region already hosts a vibrant community of developers through Norfolk Game Developers and other networks. The proposed showcase would consolidate this activity into a recognisable brand for the sector.
Fifth, the report argues for mapping and strengthening the region’s Games infrastructure. This includes studios, research centres, community groups and distributed professionals whose expertise could be connected more effectively. The East’s Games workforce is described as both experienced and under connected, with many professionals contributing to large international productions without being integrated into the local development ecosystem.
The final intervention addresses mid career skills development. The report recommends new regional initiatives to support leadership training, cross sector skills mapping, commercial capability and technical upskilling. These would help retain experienced workers and enhance the maturity of local businesses.
Associate Professor Mark Wickham summarises the report’s assessment of regional strengths: “The East already has all the ingredients of a thriving Games cluster — world-class education, applied research, and entrepreneurial talent. What we need now is a structure that connects them and enables our region to scale its success.” His comment reinforces the report’s argument that the East of England games cluster is constrained less by capability and more by coordination.
Innovation assets play a central role in the report’s analysis. The Immersive Visualisation and Simulation Lab and the Virtual Production Studio offer specialist facilities for 360 immersive technology, volumetric capture and virtual production. These are matched by the DigiTech Centre at Adastral Park and the Institute for Creative Technologies. Together they form a foundation for applied research, knowledge exchange and technology transfer.
Regional collaboration is also highlighted through Connected Innovation, which supports cross sector partnerships and runs the Future Tech Programme. James Allen, Programmes Manager at Connected Innovation, explains: “Within our innovation ecosystem we are seeing Gaming and immersive technologies increasingly applied into agriculture, life sciences, healthcare and beyond, providing a real opportunity for growth and cross industry innovation, and demonstrating that the Eastern region can be a leader in the UK in creative technology as well as entertainment gaming. We just need to make sure that the opportunities and connections are visible as well as investable.”
The report aligns with national strategies including the Creative Industries Sector Plan and the UK Games Growth Plan, but its distinct focus is regional delivery. It emphasises that sustainable economic growth requires targeted support at local level, shaped by the ambitions of the Norfolk and Suffolk Business Boards and informed by the existing capabilities of the East’s creative communities.
Its conclusion presents a confident assessment. The East of England is not a peripheral participant in the UK Games industry. It is an active and connected ecosystem with the potential to lead future phases of creative economy growth. The East of England games cluster, as outlined in the report, is emerging with clarity and direction. With investment and coordination, it could become one of the UK’s most significant centres for Games and creative technology.
