Winners of the UK Best Places To Work Awards 2026 revealed

The UK Best Places to Work Awards 2026 ceremony took place at the Royal Institution in London on October 1. Special awards were presented to Dink, Hangar 13, Jagex: The RuneScape Company, NaturalMotion Games, Rare, and Snap Finger Click. The event followed the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, which drew 79 representatives from 41 companies, including major and indie studios, as well as consultancies and educational institutions.

The main Best Places to Work awards honored 25 organizations, divided into small, mid-sized, and large companies, for their outstanding staff support. These awards are assessed using an employee survey (80% of the score) and a company survey (20%). The event was sponsored by Amiqus, Playground Games, IO Interactive, Games London, and Special Effect.

Liz Prince MBE, Business Manager at Amiqus, emphasized the value of combining the HR Summit and awards to foster learning and celebrate success. Playground Games Director of HR & Recruitment Paul Evans expressed pride in supporting the UK's mid-sized video game studios, highlighting their excellence and setting a benchmark for workplace standards.

Jo Haslam, Design Director at Snap Finger Click, was named the winner of the G Into Gaming award, praised for her empathy and action, and her inspiring leadership. The company also received the Best Places to Work Award and the Diversity Award. Rare won the Environmental Award, sponsored by Games London, while indie studio Dink secured the Education Award, presented by IO Interactive's Chief Development Officer Veronique Lallier.