Devs ask UK government to protect worldwide games trade following Brexit

A new survey from games industry trade body UKIE has asked devs to voice their biggest concerns regarding Brexit to the government.

The ‘Video games and Brexit negotiations’ paper ultimately presents ten top recommendations covering various facets of game development and business that UKIE members feel the government should keep in mind as the UK prepares to leave the EU.

More than 80 devs ranked their top issues from ‘not important’ to ‘critically important’, with “buying and selling products outside the EU without taxed and tariffs on trade flows as a result of EU trade agreements” coming in as the biggest concern.

Second-most important for respondents was “buying and selling products and services within the EU as part of the single market”, which was judged as being ‘very important’.

Interestingly, the least important factor was ensuring England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland remain united, with direct access to EU funding streams listed as second-to-least critical – although both of these topics were still ranked as ‘important’.

The paper also took another look at the vital role EU talent plays in the British games industry, with UKIE reporting that nearly a quarter (74 per cent) of games firms employ non-UK EU nationals in high-skilled positions.

Access to EU-based talent was described as “the number one pre-and post-referendum concern” for UKIE members, with seven in ten companies calling the ability to hire from overseas ‘critically’ important.

A UKIE survey held before the referendum previously found that 80 per cent of UK developers wished to remain in the EU – a sentiment unmatched by the ultimate decision by 52 per cent of the country to leave.