A Legacy of Inclusion: Liz Prince Awarded MBE for Transformative Impact on the UK Games Industry

In a career defined by unwavering commitment and strategic advocacy, Liz Prince, a veteran business manager at the specialist gaming recruitment firm Amiqus, has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours list. This prestigious recognition celebrates her three decades of service to the recruitment sector, with a specific focus on her pioneering efforts to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the UK’s vibrant video games industry.

The appointment serves as a formal acknowledgement of a professional journey that has sought to reshape the internal culture of one of the world’s most dynamic creative sectors. By bridging the gap between talent acquisition and systemic cultural reform, Prince has become a central figure in the movement to professionalize HR practices within game studios, ensuring that the industry not only attracts top-tier talent but nurtures and retains it through equitable and representative workplace environments.

The Architect of Change: A Chronology of Impact

To understand the magnitude of Prince’s contribution, one must look at the arc of her thirty-year career. Spending over two decades at Amiqus, Prince did not merely observe the evolution of the games industry; she actively participated in shaping its professional standards.

The Foundation (1994–2017)

Prince entered the recruitment landscape when the gaming sector was still finding its identity as a global powerhouse. Over these formative years, she developed a deep understanding of the unique pressures faced by studios, from rapid scaling to the volatile nature of development cycles. It was during this period that she identified a recurring issue: the industry’s reliance on informal networks often stifled diversity, leading to homogenous hiring practices and toxic work cultures.

The Catalyst: Launching ‘G Into Gaming’ (2018)

In 2018, Prince launched "G Into Gaming," a landmark initiative designed to address the gender imbalance in the industry. The initiative served two purposes: celebrating the contributions of women already embedded in the sector and highlighting the trailblazers—both men and women—who were actively constructing more inclusive workplaces. This platform provided a much-needed spotlight on the hidden figures of the industry, creating a blueprint for mentorship and visibility that had been largely absent.

Scaling the Vision: ‘Empower Up’ (2020–Present)

Recognizing that individual initiatives required institutional backing, Prince co-founded "Empower Up" alongside Dom Shaw and the trade body UKIE. This venture represented a shift from advocacy to infrastructure. Empower Up provides critical resources for employers, covering everything from inclusive recruitment strategies and leadership training to the establishment of healthy workplace cultures. By embedding these practices into the operational DNA of studios, Prince moved the needle from performative diversity to structural equity.

The Intersection of HR and Innovation

Prince’s influence is perhaps most visible in her long-standing collaboration with the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit and the associated Best Places To Work Awards. These platforms have become the industry standard for benchmarking, allowing HR professionals to share best practices and tackle common systemic challenges, such as burnout, wage transparency, and equitable hiring.

Her approach has always been rooted in the belief that HR is not merely an administrative function, but a strategic pillar of game development. When studios prioritize the well-being and representation of their employees, the quality of their creative output inevitably rises. This philosophy has transformed how the UK gaming sector views its own human capital, shifting the narrative from "resource management" to "people cultivation."

Official Responses and Reflections

The announcement of the MBE has prompted an outpouring of respect from across the gaming landscape. In her official response, Prince remained characteristically humble, emphasizing the communal nature of the progress made thus far.

"I am incredibly honoured to receive this recognition," Prince stated. "The games industry has been a huge part of my working life, and I care deeply about the people and businesses within it. This honour reflects work that has always been collaborative. G Into Gaming, Empower Up and the wider conversations around diversity and inclusion in games have involved so many people who have given their time, voices, ideas and support."

She acknowledged, however, that the accolade is not a finish line but a milestone in an ongoing mission. "I’m proud of what we have built, but I also know there is still more to do. My hope is that this recognition helps keep attention on the importance of fairer access, better representation and more inclusive workplaces across the games industry."

The State of the Industry: Implications for Future Growth

The recognition of Liz Prince’s work comes at a critical juncture for the UK games industry. As the sector faces economic pressures, shifting global market demands, and the rise of AI-driven development, the need for robust, diverse, and human-centric leadership has never been greater.

Addressing the "Representation Gap"

Despite progress, the industry still faces a significant gender and representation gap. Data consistently shows that while entry-level positions are becoming more diverse, leadership roles remain heavily skewed. Prince’s work through Empower Up directly targets this bottleneck by providing clear pathways for career progression and ensuring that the internal culture supports diverse voices reaching the boardroom.

The Economic Imperative of Inclusion

The implications of Prince’s advocacy extend beyond social responsibility. There is a clear economic imperative for inclusive hiring. Studios that fail to cultivate diverse teams risk "groupthink," which stifles creative innovation. By standardizing recruitment practices—as Prince has championed—studios reduce the risks associated with hiring bias and increase their ability to resonate with a global, diverse player base.

Setting a Precedent for Industry Recognition

Prince joins an elite list of industry figures who have been recognized for their contributions to the UK’s creative sector. This includes Michael French of London Games Festival, who was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours, and Rebellion co-founders Chris and Jason Kingsley, who received CBEs in 2024. These awards signal a broader institutional recognition by the UK government of the video games industry as a primary pillar of the nation’s economy and cultural export.

Looking Ahead: The Path to Sustainability

As the industry looks toward the next decade, the methodologies pioneered by Prince are expected to become the baseline for any studio wishing to remain competitive. The "HR Summit" model of collaborative problem-solving is likely to expand into new areas, such as mental health support for remote workers and the ethics of human-AI collaboration in the workplace.

The appointment of Liz Prince as an MBE is a testament to the fact that the gaming industry is maturing. It is moving away from the "wild west" culture of its early years toward a more professional, equitable, and sustainable environment. Prince has been a steady hand guiding this transition, proving that the most successful businesses are those that invest in their people with as much rigor as they invest in their code.

In closing, the recognition of Liz Prince is not just an award for an individual; it is a validation of the values she has fought to instill. It serves as a reminder that behind every pixel, every mechanic, and every blockbuster title, there are people whose professional lives are defined by the structures in place to support them. Through her tireless advocacy, Prince has ensured that those structures are now more inclusive, more fair, and more representative than ever before. Her legacy is one of opening doors—not just for individuals, but for an entire industry that is now better equipped to meet the challenges of the future.