FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: A major new Insight Report published by not-for-profit organisation Women in Games is asking key questions about power, investment and accountability across the global games industry:
Who receives funding and public investment?
Who scales into leadership and ownership?
And how can the industry measure fairness, growth and effectiveness if much of this data is not being collected?
The report, The Drop-Off: Women in Games from Players to Power and Capital – Funding and Investment Data Gaps in the Games Industry, identifies three clear findings:
- Women’s representation steadily declines as influence, leadership and access to capital increase.
- Women remain significantly underrepresented in company ownership, executive leadership and investment allocation.
- The industry lacks consistent gender-disaggregated funding and investment data, making inequality difficult to properly measure, evaluate or address.
- While women now make up around half of all players and a growing proportion of the games workforce, the report argues that they remain largely excluded from the structures that shape ownership, funding and strategic decision-making within the sector.
The report was developed in response to growing discussion around games industry investment and public funding, including the UK Government’s recently announced £30 million Games Growth Package. However, the findings point to a broader international issue extending far beyond the UK alone.
Drawing on all currently available games industry data, the analysis also references wider UK and global funding and investment evidence due to the absence of consistent gender-disaggregated reporting across the sector – revealing a clear and persistent pattern of inequality.
According to data from the British Business Bank, PitchBook and other major investment trackers:
- All-female founder teams receive approximately 2% of UK equity investment
- Even among organisations actively working to improve outcomes, this rises only to around 5%
- Similar patterns are consistently seen across global venture capital and technology investment markets
Women in Games says there is currently no evidence suggesting the games industry performs differently from these wider investment trends – but because the sector does not consistently report or track gender investment data, the true scale of the disparity remains largely invisible.
Women in Games argues that the absence of transparent data is not simply a reporting gap, but a structural issue with implications for innovation, talent retention, investment efficiency and long-term industry growth.
And as governments and regulators take increasing interest in the sector, greater visibility around funding, investment and ownership will be important not only for fairness, but for building industry credibility, trust and long-term resilience. Women in Games argues that proactive transparency and accountability offer a stronger path forward than reactive regulation.
Dr Marie-Claire Isaaman, CEO of Women in Games and author of the report, said:
“The industry does not lack evidence of inequality – it lacks visibility on who controls and receives funding and investment. Without that transparency, progress is limited.
“We can measure players. We can partially measure workforce participation. But when we look at who receives investment, who scales businesses, and who gains access to funding & capital, visibility drops away almost entirely.
“This matters because innovation, creativity and economic growth depend on the industry being able to access the full breadth of available talent. If opportunities and investment continue to flow through the same narrow pathways, the sector risks limiting its own future potential.”
The report calls for urgent industry-wide action, including:
- Transparent reporting of funding and investment by gender
- Standardised data collection across the games industry
- Greater accountability in how capital is distributed
- Independent monitoring and benchmarking of investment outcomes
The Drop-Off: Women in Games from Players to Power and Capital is available now from Women in Games. For a copy of the report contact hello@womeningames.org.
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About Women in Games
Women in Games is a UK-based global not-for-profit organisation dedicated to building a fair, inclusive and equitable games industry. It works to support girls and women at every stage of their journey – from education and early access through to careers, leadership and entrepreneurship.
Through research, advocacy, programmes, events and targeted initiatives, Women in Games works to increase representation, progression and leadership opportunities for women and underrepresented groups across the sector. Its work is supported by strong industry partnerships and a large international Ambassador network, enabling it to connect talent, build community and drive practical action.
The organisation collaborates with industry, education and policy stakeholders to address structural inequalities and drive sustainable, long-term change, with a focus on creating a more inclusive industry that can reach its full potential.
www.womeningames.org