Welcome to this year’s 30 Under 30, where we put the spotlight on the best and brightest young talent that the industry has to offer. 

“Whether it’s through the creation of high quality stylised art, engaging gameplay designs, or any of the multitude of unique disciplines that help define the gaming industry, MCV/DEVELOP’s 30 Under 30 award is a platform for celebrating the outstanding contributions that new generations of talented individuals have brought to the industry.

This award is a fundamental avenue of building a stronger collective mindset that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and growth, for an industry that is constantly evolving. By celebrating each nomination through merit, it helps create a culture of recognition based on excellence, and the impact each individual makes regardless of any external factors.

As the size and ambition of this industry grows, it’s important to recognise the efforts and contributions made by some of its younger advocates, and the great wealth of knowledge they bring to a culture of gaming they’ve grown up in. These people will undoubtedly one day be spearheading the future of the games industry itself, through their hard work, dedication, and passion to an industry that’s recognised and celebrated their personal achievements.

Both personally, and at EA Playdemic, it is believed that nurturing the unique talent every individual brings into the games industry will pay back more than tenfold, as they grow into experts within their chosen disciplines and help drive the games industry forward. This award is proof that there are up and coming talented individuals ready to make their mark, and they will certainly help others after them develop and push industry standards even higher.

Each and every individual in this year’s cohort have made outstanding contributions towards their discipline, through their hard work raised standards of quality and excellence, which is why we’re incredibly proud to sponsor this event.

Congratulations to all nominees and finalists, both in this year’s cohort, and in all of the previous ones.”

– Shaun Lawrence, Game Design Director, Playdemic

“MCV/DEVELOP’s 30 Under 30 has taken on a few other forms over the years (an in-magazine feature, an internet article, and an exciting underground party in East London to name a few) but what has never changed is the sheer amount of talent on display from the young people working on video games that it celebrates. It has been our ongoing honour to celebrate the youth of the UK games industry’s collective achievements, and this year is no exception. 

As usual, our selection process took forever, because there were just so many good people to choose from. Congratulations to everyone selected, and if you didn’t make the list this year, please try again next time, as you’ll no doubt be even more impressive in 2025, and we’ll be looking forward to reading all about it.” 

– Vince Pavey, Editor, MCV/DEVELOP

The 2024 30 Under 30 Cohort

GEORGIA MAE AYLING

QA Analyst at Rocksteady Studios

At just 24 years old, Georgia has made remarkable strides in the games industry. She was the QA feature owner for audio at Rocksteady Studios, and led an international testing effort for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which earned a nomination for audio at the Develop: Star Awards. In 2024, she also served as a juror for BAFTA’s Audio Achievement Award. Georgia is also passionate about inclusion, and serves both on the Limit Break committee and as a Women in Games ambassador.

BLESSING BABATUNDE

Talent and People Coordinator at Ustwo Games

Since joining Ustwo Games two years ago, Blessing has become an invaluable asset to her entire company. While it is her first role in the games industry, she consistently demonstrates initiative, problem-solving skills, and a remarkable ability to connect with other people. A champion of inclusivity and mental health, Blessing also fosters a supportive, collaborative environment. She also takes part in both UKIE and Into Games initiatives, nurturing the next generation of talent and helping to encourage a diverse and inclusive industry.

AMY BALLANTYNE

PR and Marketing Manager at Kalypso Media

Amy Ballantyne oversaw numerous PR and marketing campaigns at Kalypso this year, including the UK and EMEA PR for Commandos: Origins. With a strong background in agency work, she has consistently improved Kalypso’s communication systems and streamlined processes within the company. Amy excels in securing media coverage, managing major game launches, and fostering a collaborative team environment. According to her co-workers she is supportive without being overbearing, organised without being dictatorial, and compassionate without shying away from tough topics.

JOE CLARK

CEO at Studio 316 Limited

Joe has made impressive strides in a short amount of time, founding Studio 316 as a student and building it into a successful business that is currently working on its first original IP. He has also provided other recent graduates with work opportunities, supported Falmouth University’s Games Academy, and contributed to his local community in Cornwall. Joe also collaborates with organisations like the Eden Project and Natural England to raise people’s awareness of environmental issues through the medium of video games.

MELISSA COCKER

Social Media and Community Coordinator at Hyper Luminal Games

Melissa currently manages the community and accounts across 3 different brands at HLG, and played a pivotal role in building brand awareness for the game Pine Hearts, as well as Hyper Luminal’s new publishing label Little Nook. She’s passionate about both diversity and mental health, and has both founded internal steering groups and has been a speaker at major industry events. Her leadership, creativity, and dedication make her a driving force for change, both within the company and beyond.

DANIEL DE KRETSER

Sales Manager at Fireshine Games

Daniel de Kretser was described as an “unsung hero deserving of some recognition” by one of his colleagues, and we can see why. He regularly puts together a prominent Steam page for the London Games Festival, that includes a sale of games from a variety of publishers and not just his own studio. It has been seen by millions of people, generated a phenomenal amount of wishlists, and ultimately sold thousands of games to players that may not have made it into digital shopping carts without his proactivity.

ANOUK DEBRUYNE

Environment Artist at Jagex

Anouk is not only an exceptional artist, but is the pioneer behind the graphical reworks and performance improvements that have reshaped the entire landscape of RuneScape at Jagex. She is the first artist at Jagex to have led a project of this sort, and her thorough and detailed approach has not gone without notice. Anouk also often volunteers her time to mentor young women entering the industry, as well as to advocate for better representation in games.

MATT DUNFORD

Talent and Resource Senior at Big Farmer and TrailerFarm

Matt is an absolute professional, who has quickly become an integral part of both TrailerFarm and Big Farmer. After joining the team as a Talent Supervisor in 2021, fresh out of the film industry and with little to no experience in recruitment, Matt quickly made his mark, developing a vast network of connections and a trusted freelancer database. He is known for his diligence, efficiency, and exceptional interpersonal skills, but his humility and his ability to forge strong relationships are what make him one of the best at what he does.

ROB ESOM

Account Director at Swipe Right PR

Rob leads on major accounts like Twitch, NVIDIA, and Coffee Stain at Swipe Right PR, where his expertise and his client service skills have been instrumental in the company’s growth. Beyond his client work, Rob has reshaped Swipe Right’s culture, introducing processes that foster staff retention, wellbeing, and engagement. His leadership, mentorship, and behind-the-scenes support have made him a key figure in both the company’s success and making sure it has an outstanding workplace culture.

VENEZIA GEORGIEVA

Senior Systems and Economy Designer at Sumo Digital

Venezia has quickly established herself as a standout designer. From working on hit games like Ready Chef Go! and Trivia Party, to her pivotal role on Creative Assembly’s ill-fated Hyenas, she has demonstrated both exceptional skill and impressive leadership qualities that have not gone without notice. She also co-founded Nucleolus, a research driven studio that builds games for social good, and regularly puts time into helping other people and important causes.

LAURA HIGGINS

VFX Artist at Rocksteady Studios Ltd

Laura has made a huge impact in the games industry by mentoring aspiring developers, as well as fostering a stronger sense of community in general. Through initiatives like the Rocksteady x Ravensbourne mentorship scheme, delivering university lectures, and working with Grads in Games, she has helped many students to learn and progress. Her commitment to educating other people even extends to other countries, with her holding a GDC 2024 talk earlier in the year, and running new VFX community-driven events like ‘ExplosionTober” on the web.

JARED JOHNSON

Social Media Coordinator at Rare Ltd

In the span of only ten months, Jared had significantly boosted Sea of Thieves’ content output, showing himself to be a master of both social trends and formats like the vertical short video. His ability to swiftly create engaging content, collaborate across departments, and maintain positive vibes among fans of the long-running Xbox game have proven invaluable to his co-workers. On top of all his corporate work, he runs a personal channel full of entertaining machinima and stunning musical covers, too.

DECLAN LARKINS

Studio Marketing Executive at Red Kite Games

Declan is a passionate advocate for diversity, and has been committed to helping underrepresented and working-class people to pursue careers in video games ever since he got into a position to be able to do so. He mentors students, speaks at Barnsley College (it’s where he got started, after all) and champions initiatives like Game Republic in Yorkshire and Ahead Partnership’s Growing Talent Digital programme in Leeds whenever he possibly can.

RACH MACPHERSON

Senior PR Manager at Neonhive

Rach has only been at Neonhive for just about four years, but has already gone from being an intern to a Senior PR Manager. She also spearheaded the successful Games for the Weans charity campaign, and raised over £100,000 for Glasgow Children’s Hospital. Her obvious passion for helping out young people takes on many different forms, as she also actively puts in the work to support newcomers to the industry, both as a Limit Break mentor and a public speaker.

RHIANNE MURPHY

Narrative Designer at Square Enix

Rhianne has been a part of the UK games industry for the last eight years, and most recently put her skills to work as a Narrative Designer on Life is Strange: Double Exposure. She is also a proud industry ambassador, serving both as a BAFTA Games jury member and participating in panels at events like EGX and Yorkshire Game Festival. Rhianne also mentors aspiring developers, sharing her knowledge at talks, in YouTube videos, and through her involvement with Limit Break.

COURTNEY O’CONNOR

Brand Marketing Manager at Supermassive Games

Courtney has led marketing efforts on over 19 successful titles in the past seven years, with her work ranging from taking on licensed IPs to pushing forward indie projects, and showcasing an exceptional amount of versatility and leadership talent. Perhaps most notably, she secured Jack Black for Jumanji: The Video Game without a budget, and has also pioneered charity collaborations like donations to TheRockinR and coding classes for children during COVID-19.

CHLOE SINCLAIR

Engagement, EDI and Wellbeing Specialist at Climax Studios and Fresh Seed

Chloe is an award-winning Engagement, EDI, and Wellbeing Specialist, renowned for her work in creating inclusive and supportive spaces within the UK games industry. At companies like Firesprite, Climax Studios, and Fresh Seed, Chloe has led initiatives focused on diversity, mental health advocacy, and employee engagement, cultivating environments where all voices are heard, and employees can feel valued and supported. She is also a proud Women in Games Ambassador, Limit Break mentor, and Liverpool City Region Games Board member.

EMILY BROWN

3D Vehicle Artist at Rivet Games

Emily created the Games Industry Events Discord, a valuable resource that has grown to have over 800 members since its launch in 2023. It is aimed at supporting industry professionals, and shares event details for meet-ups, conferences, showcases and other opportunities taking place, both in the UK and further afield. She has also worked on high-profile projects like the Red Dead Redemption ports for PS4 and Switch, and is currently contributing to Train Sim World’s DLC output as an artist creating a variety of realistic trains.

EDWIN CHUAH

Community Manager at Square Enix

Edwin is a community manager with 11 years of experience, with that time spread out across roles at Bandai Namco, Wired Productions and Square Enix. He’s been a key contributor to a variety of fighting game community events, organizing them as a volunteer and making a lasting impact on both attendees and colleagues. His coworkers tell us he is reliable, loyal, and hardworking, as well as humble. We also hear that he’s very into Final Fantasy XIV, meaning that he certainly works at the right place!

CHRIS PETT

Business Development Manager at Testronic

Chris is not only invaluable to Testronic’s clients, ensuring that games ship smoothly with their external services, but he’s also a mentor to those aspiring to join the industry, offering them guidance and encouragement. He has also worked pro bono with studios to set up game operations, and helped them to navigate complicated publishing agreements. Chris has also tried to provide a lifeline for laid-off workers in this difficult time, helping out with CVs, connecting people with opportunities, and using his network to do what he can, where he can.

KELSEY RAYNOR

Guides Writer at Gamer Network

Kelsey is a core member of the team over at VG247, and has given the site more of the voice that it has really been looking for ever since the departure of Pat Garrett. While she is ‘officially’ a Guides Writer for the site, she has also become a firm fan favourite on the VG247 Best Games Ever podcast, as well as what is basically the site’s de facto horror expert. According to one coworker, she also ‘often bests the video game knowledge of colleagues literally twice her age’, which is an impressive feat, at least to us media types.

ZAID SHAIKH

Game Designer at Sony Firesprite

Zaid goes above and beyond to support aspiring and junior developers. Having successfully made the jump from QA to Game Designer, he now mentors others making similar career moves whenever he can. He has also created networking groups, published insightful articles, and given impactful talks at industry-related events like Animex. According to coworkers, he often helps others succeed, offers up valuable advice and resources, and really wants to make sure people achieve their goals. More companies could benefit from having someone like Zaid on board.

KIERAN TOWNLEY

Associate Lead Programmer at Soul Assembly

Even though he is only 26 years old, Kieran has already led multiple games industry programming teams across the country. His leadership and technical skills are matched only by his dedication to mentoring those that want to work in games, especially those from LGBTQIA+, underrepresented and marginalised communities. He is a Women in Games ambassador and mental health advocate, and regularly makes an effort to make the industry more inclusive, both in his work with both Limit Break and Grads in Games and as an independent figure.

OWEN TRETT

Senior Video Editor at Poncle

Owen is so obviously passionate about what he does, and has consistently produced brilliant video work for games including the likes of Vampire Survivors, Among Us and more. He also actively supports social causes, including work on BAFTA’s Pride Month campaign and raising funds for Special Effect. Like many on this list, he is also a part of the Limit Break mentorship programme, and we’ve been told directly that he often inspires those around him with his kindness, introspection and care.

TARA BUNKER

Digital Media Manager at Supermassive Games

Tara drives forward a lot of the social media strategy and engagement at Supermassive Games, and puts the communication and social media skills she learned in the Surrey Police and at the British American Football Association to work for games like The Dark Pictures Anthology on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Having overcome health challenges that have affected both her career and personal life, Tara is also now a support figure for women in gaming and a role model for both resilience and leadership.

FLO BURCHILL

Assistant Producer at Snap Finger Click

Flo joined Snap Finger Click back in 2020 after earning a degree at the University of Sussex. She’s in charge of all of their social media, including hosting streams on camera on Twitch to large audiences. She also works directly on the production of video games, and has stepped up to help out with project management, game design, QA, and writing, despite not having a technical background. Flo also works to advance children’s rights and equality for girls with Plan Canada, and volunteers at the UKIE Careers Bar at EGX.

ROSIE CADDICK

Video Editor and Presenter at We Are Reach

In the last 10 years Rosie has gone from strength to strength, at first growing her own YouTube audience of over 35,000 people, and then joining the team on PlayStation Access to make videos for millions. While her meteoric rise to internet stardom is hard to ignore, Rosie has also been a part of WeirdBlast for the last two years, a group that has raised over £10,000 for the charity Special Effect. Her friends and colleagues also tell us that she is creative, passionate and inclusive, and that she truly cares, and all of that combined makes her a great fit for this list.

MARK PAWLUK

Senior Influencer and Creator Specialist at Activision Blizzard

Mark has been integral on several multi-market Call of Duty franchise campaigns and global Call of Duty NEXT events, which have been broadcast to millions of players around the world. He also teamed up with world-famous DJ Oliver Heldens to curate and release a popular EDM track on major streaming services and in Warzone in 2023. On top of his more commercial work for the brand, he also does work with the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit organisation that helps veterans transition back into civilian life.

TOM STONE

Account Manager at Bastion

Tom is exceptionally good at his job, and is a key player when it comes to public relations for accounts at Bastion like Amazon Games, Wizards of the Coast and Final Fantasy XIV. He was also the lead on the Moxxi’s Finest campaign for Borderlands, which was shortlisted for Campaign of the Year at the 2023 MCV Awards. His supporters tell us that he is driven, passionate and knowledgeable when it comes to both games and the games industry, and that no one at Bastion makes them feel more welcome.

ISSY VAN DER VELDE

Journalist at Issy van der Velde

Issy is a journalist that has championed queer and POC voices since 2020, whose writing has largely focused on Arab causes, trans issues, and women’s representation in video games. As an editor at TheGamer and Dot Esports, Issy consistently helped writers develop their unique voices, and despite having been made redundant and forced to return to the life of a freelancer, he has continued to highlight important social issues while also delivering his own considerable insight and fair criticism.

Honourable Mentions

Connor Makar, Reporter at Gamer Network
Rodrigo Roldán Romero, Intermediate Programmer at Tanglewood Games
Lewis Clothier, Data Analyst at nDreams
Siân Hutchinson, Campaign Manager at YRS TRULY
Toby Pearce, Associate Account Manager at Bastion
Aaron Preece, Senior Programmer at Behaviour Interactive