GI 100 | Game Changers

All 100 profiles of individuals and organisations working in diversity, accessibility, charity, mental health, progressive politics, uniting communities, and much more | Sponsored by Unreal Engine

Feature by GamesIndustry.biz Staff Contributor

Published on Dec. 7, 2020

A message from our sponsor

To say 2020 was a tumultuous year would be an understatement. From the chaos of COVID-19 to the urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement, fault lines in our society have been exposed that we will have to work hard to address for years to come.

In difficult times, we need hope. The individuals and groups on the GamesIndustry 100 Game Changers list show us that no matter how hard the road, motivated people can continue to make a difference in areas like diversity, inclusion, accessibility, charity, progressive politics, closing the wealth gap, lifting up underrepresented people, and more.

Empowering the elderly to embrace games and technology, documenting the work of Black women in the industry, and advocating for better Muslim representation are the beginnings of a transformation that can break down barriers and raise up everyone in our industry.

It has been an honor to support the GamesIndustry 100 Game Changers this year. We'd like to thank all those recognised on the list for their contribution to building a more inclusive, accessible, and egalitarian environment. The path forward might be long and challenging, but their inspirational work provides a map towards a fairer and more progressive place for all of us.

Wishing you all the best in 2021,

Epic Games

After any normal year, this would be a period of reflection in the games press -- an opportunity to look back on the previous 12 months, analysing the biggest deals, the emerging trends, the surprise successes, and the regrettable mistakes.

Well, 2020 was many things, but most would agree that it was anything but normal.

Between the anger and protest that followed the killing of George Floyd last May, the wave of abuse allegations that started in June and touched every corner of the industry, and the COVID-19 pandemic that we continue to struggle against today, the appropriate way to reflect has been difficult, even impossible to define. None of these issues are solved simply because we're in the first week of a brand new year -- understanding the impact of these events will take time, and progress will require diligence and empathy, day by day.

As we do so, however, it is worth recognising the individuals and organisations that are already out there, making this industry a better place through their effort and actions. That is the driving idea behind Game Changers, the latest in our GI 100 series -- if this year has highlighted many of the huge issues we must still overcome, the 100 profiles we published at the end of 2020 illustrated the work already being done to make this a more inclusive, accessible and egalitarian industry.

These profiles are the result of a months-long process involving influential figures from across the full breadth of the global games business. It is far from perfect -- we tried to represent every region equally, but some proved more challenging than others for various reasons -- and it is also not intended to be definitive. There are many more people who deserve recognition for the difference they make to this industry, in regions that we can do more to reach, and we hope to do just that in future editions of this list.

If you want to suggest a person or group for a future list, please do so by emailing editorial@gamesindustry.biz, with "Game Changers" as the subject line.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who nominated these individuals and groups, and especially to our first 100 Game Changers -- their inspirational work paints a picture of what the road ahead can and should look like.

GI 100 | Game Changers is sponsored by Unreal Engine.