Manchester Games Network launches to boost Greater Manchester studios

Manchester’s games scene got a new organising spine on May 14, as industry veterans launched Manchester Games Network at Cloud Imperium Games’ Manchester office with a blunt goal: make Greater Manchester studios harder to ignore.

Manchester Games Network, or MGN, said it would advocate for, represent, support and connect the video games ecosystem across Greater Manchester. Its remit stretched beyond game developers to universities, colleges, AI-in-games companies, games service businesses, esports groups and publishers, a sign that the network sees studio growth as a whole-system problem, not just a marketing one.

Laura Harper, a partner at Lewis Silkin and a board member, said MGN wanted to raise the profile of regional studios while also pushing on policy around support, funding, incentives and infrastructure. Louise Andrew, of co-development studio d3t and another board member, said the group wanted to become a “hub for all things game development” in the short term, while also building ties with students and course leaders over time. The launch was designed to be practical, not ceremonial: by holding it inside Cloud Imperium Games’ Manchester office, MGN signaled that it wanted to sit where production happens.

The timing matters because Manchester already has the ingredients of a serious cluster, but not always the coordination to turn that into sustained leverage. One third-party directory estimates the city has four game studios employing roughly 313 to 875 people, while an education-focused guide says Manchester has more than 75 game businesses. A University of Salford-related resource frames the city as a global gaming hub and points to students being prepared for industry careers, which is exactly the pipeline MGN is trying to tighten.

The network is also entering a crowded but important landscape of British mapping and advocacy. Ukie and Nesta launched the UK Games Map in September 2016 with 1,949 active games companies listed across the UK, and Ukie still describes the map as a tool for developers, publishers, academics, investors and policymakers to understand the size, scale and spread of the sector. Ukie says it represents more than 2,000 games businesses and 73,000 jobs, while TIGA remains the UK industry’s not-for-profit trade association. Against that backdrop, a 2026 report cited in coverage said around 29% of studios are facing skills shortages, giving MGN a clear opening to focus on education links, recruitment and advocacy.

MGN said it would work with existing local groups including Format, Liv Game Network and Games Republic, while also connecting with Ukie and TIGA at the national level. That is the real bet behind the launch: Manchester does not need to invent a games scene, only to stop letting an existing one drift out of view.