In a landmark recognition of her three-decade career and tireless advocacy, Liz Prince, a cornerstone of the UK gaming recruitment landscape, has been named as a recipient of an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the King’s Birthday Honours list. The award specifically honors Prince for her distinguished services to the games industry and her unwavering commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
As a veteran business manager at the specialist recruitment firm Amiqus, Prince has spent over two decades shaping the workforce of one of the UK’s most dynamic creative sectors. Her recognition serves as a testament to the evolving priorities of the gaming industry, signaling that the pursuit of a more inclusive, equitable workplace is now regarded as essential as the technical and creative milestones that drive the medium forward.
The Pillars of Advocacy: A Chronology of Impact
To understand the significance of this award, one must look at the trajectory of Prince’s career. Her influence is not the result of a single project, but a sustained, multi-layered effort to address systemic barriers within the industry.
Early Career and the Amiqus Foundation
Prince entered the recruitment field thirty years ago, long before "diversity and inclusion" were standard corporate buzzwords. Spending over 20 years at Amiqus, she witnessed the industry’s explosive growth from a niche hobbyist market to a multi-billion-pound global powerhouse. Throughout this period, she recognized that the talent pipeline was often homogenous and that recruitment practices were frequently informal and exclusive.
2018: The Birth of "G Into Gaming"
A pivotal moment in Prince’s career came in 2018 with the launch of G Into Gaming. This initiative was designed to challenge the status quo by providing a platform for women working in the sector. Rather than merely acting as a networking group, G Into Gaming focused on visibility and the celebration of female professionals who were actively working to foster more inclusive environments. By highlighting these success stories, Prince helped dismantle the "old boys’ club" perception that had long plagued the industry.
Collaboration and "Empower Up"
Recognizing that individual efforts needed institutional support, Prince co-founded Empower Up alongside Dom Shaw and the trade body UKIE (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment). Empower Up moved beyond awareness, providing concrete resources for employers. It offers toolkits on hiring practices, leadership training, and strategies for building a company culture that welcomes diverse talent. By partnering with UKIE, Prince ensured that these principles of equity were woven into the policy and educational frameworks of the UK’s gaming infrastructure.
Supporting Data: Why Inclusion Matters in Gaming
The significance of Prince’s work is underpinned by a growing body of evidence that suggests diversity is not just a moral imperative, but a business necessity.
The gaming industry is currently facing a "talent crunch." As the demand for high-quality, complex, and culturally nuanced content grows, studios are finding that a limited hiring pool restricts their creative potential. Industry data, frequently discussed at events like the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit—which Prince has supported for years—consistently shows that teams with diverse backgrounds are better equipped to build products that appeal to a global audience.
When companies fail to prioritize inclusive hiring, they encounter:
- Groupthink: A lack of cognitive diversity leads to iterative, repetitive gameplay mechanics and narratives.
- High Turnover: Employees from underrepresented backgrounds are more likely to leave organizations that do not support their growth or recognize their unique value.
- Brand Disconnect: As gaming audiences become increasingly diverse, studios that lack diversity in their leadership and development teams risk producing content that feels out of touch or exclusionary.
Prince’s work, particularly through her advocacy for the GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards, has helped codify what "good" looks like. By benchmarking best practices, she has provided a roadmap for studios to improve their retention rates and foster psychological safety—the foundational element of any creative environment.
Official Responses and Industry Sentiment
The announcement of the MBE has been met with widespread celebration across the UK gaming sector. Peers, colleagues, and industry leaders have praised Prince for her humility and her collaborative approach to change.
In a formal statement following the announcement, Prince expressed that the honor belongs as much to the community as it does to her. "I am incredibly honoured to receive this recognition," she 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."
Prince’s statement reflects a leadership style that emphasizes collective action over individual credit. By positioning the MBE as a reflection of a wider movement, she continues to foster the very community-building she has championed for decades.
Implications: Setting the Standard for the Future
The inclusion of Liz Prince in the King’s Birthday Honours list is a signal of the industry’s maturation. In previous decades, honors in the games sector were almost exclusively reserved for the founders of major studios or those responsible for significant technical breakthroughs. Acknowledging a recruitment and HR specialist marks a profound shift in what society—and the UK government—values within the sector.
Beyond Recruitment
The implications of this award are twofold. First, it validates the role of HR and talent management as a core strategic function of a game studio. Second, it places the "people-first" agenda firmly at the center of the industry’s future development.
The Road Ahead
Despite the accolades, Prince remains pragmatic about the challenges that remain. In her own words, "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 industry is currently navigating a period of economic uncertainty, with layoffs and studio closures making headlines. In such an environment, the work of advocates like Prince becomes even more critical. During times of austerity, diversity and inclusion initiatives are often the first to face budget cuts. By securing this high-level recognition, Prince has ensured that the topic of workplace equality remains a permanent fixture on the industry’s agenda.
A Legacy of Leadership
Liz Prince joins an esteemed list of industry figures who have been recognized for their contributions to the UK’s creative digital economy. She follows in the footsteps of Michael French (Head of Games London), who received an MBE earlier this year, and Rebellion co-founders Chris and Jason Kingsley, who were awarded CBEs in 2024.
As the UK continues to position itself as a global leader in video game development, the efforts of professionals like Prince serve as the bedrock of the industry’s sustainability. By ensuring that the next generation of developers, artists, and producers come from a diverse array of backgrounds, and by creating environments where those people can thrive, Prince is effectively safeguarding the creative integrity of the industry for the next thirty years.
In summary, the awarding of an MBE to Liz Prince is more than just a personal accolade; it is an endorsement of the idea that the success of the games industry is inextricably linked to the humanity of its workforce. Her career proves that behind every successful game are the people who build it, and that investing in those people is the most profitable—and essential—investment of all.
