The finalists have been announced for the GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK 2025

The finalists for the special categories at the UK GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards 2025 have been announced.

These accolades highlight distinction in particular fields and complement the main Best Places to Work Awards across various company sizes.

The studio NaturalMotion, owned by Zynga, has received nominations in all six categories, the most among the contenders.

Following closely is Microsoft's Rare, with five nominations, while the UK division of Canadian company Behaviour Interactive received three nominations.

Playground Games, Rocksteady, Fireshine Games, Studio Gobo, and Tanglewood Games each earned two nominations.

"Congratulations to all the nominees," remarked Michael French, the sponsor and head of Games London. "We are honored to back the Environmental Award at Best Places UK, as these nominees exemplify the path forward in sustainability for studios."

ICO Partners' COO, David Ortiz, also commended the finalists. "Our congratulations to all nominees for their dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive gaming sector," he pointed out.

"Despite the current hurdles in the industry, it's crucial to stay focused on this vital element of our creative domain. As the industry expands and reaches a broader audience, fostering experiences that mirror both the creators and the players remains essential."

The awards ceremony, highlighting the winners including the overall champions, is set for October 2, 2025, at London's Royal Institution.

This event will succeed the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, backed by Amiqus, taking place at the same venue earlier that day. Key speakers will include Sega’s chief people officer Nicky Ormrod, with Simon Court and Dan Bobby from Value Partnership, sharing insights on Sega Europe's growth.

Details about the HR Summit are available here, and additional information on speakers and sessions will be disclosed soon. To purchase tickets for this year's event, including the Best Places to Work Awards entry, click here.

Below is a rundown of the 2025 GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards UK finalists:

Diversity Award (Presented by ICO Partners)

• Playground Games
• NaturalMotion
• Maverick Games
• Rocksteady
• Rare

Health and Wellbeing Award

• Wushu Studios
• Rare
• Behaviour Interactive
• Futur Lab
• NaturalMotion

Environmental Award (Presented by Games London)

• Rare
• NaturalMotion
• Behaviour Interactive
• MLC Studio
• Fireshine Games

Education Award

• Observer Interactive
• Rare
• NaturalMotion
• Side
• Studio Gobo

Corporate Social Responsibility Award (Presented by Special Effect)

• Behaviour Interactive
• Playground Games
• NaturalMotion
• Rocksteady
• Tanglewood Games

Training and Development Award

• Rare
• NaturalMotion
• Studio Gobo
• Tanglewood Games
• Fireshine Games