Michael French of the London Games Festival has been recognized with an MBE

The New Year Honours List for 2026 included Michael French, who was recognized with an MBE for his significant contributions to the games sector, as well as his work promoting inclusivity. His endeavors include the launch of the Game Changer initiative and shaping the Ensemble exhibition. In addition, French's philanthropic efforts with GamesAid have been acknowledged.

With the creation and oversight of the GamesAid Gala Night, Michael French has successfully raised over £50,000. Entering the gaming scene in 2002 at Intent Media, he started as an editorial assistant at MCV, quickly advancing to deputy editor.

Following a period at Future Publishing, he returned to Intent Media, eventually becoming editor for Develop and later rising to editor-in-chief for both MCV and Develop by 2008. By 2013, he was named publisher of these gaming brands before moving on to head Games London. Under his leadership, the London Games Festival began in 2016, assisting over 1,000 companies and leading to approximately 900 job creations while generating £90 million in business.

The latest London Games Festival in 2025 drew 102,000 attendees, including 5,000 industry professionals from 31 countries. "Receiving an MBE in the 2026 New Year Honours is a personal and professional milestone," French expressed to Gamesindustry.biz. "This honor reflects my deep commitment to an industry I love and coincides with a decade of accomplishments for Games London and its initiatives."

Over recent years, many video game industry leaders have been acknowledged in the Honours List. Among these are co-founder Alex Boucher of Game Dev Heroes, co-founder David Banner of Wales Interactive, and Jessica Butcher of Blippar. Recognized figures also include Jude Ower of PlayMob and Debbie Beswick of Team17.

Additional recognitions include an OBE for Dr. Jo Twist, former CEO of Ukie, and an OBE for TIGA CEO Richard Wilson. Giselle Elizabeth Stewart from Ubisoft also received an OBE in 2016. In 2022, Ian Livingstone was knighted, with previous honors including OBE and CBE status. Jason and Chris Kingsley received CBEs in 2024, following their OBEs awarded 12 years earlier.