Liverpool’s tech community grows as The Game Assembly joins Urban Splash in 11,000 sq ft of deals
Award-winning regeneration company Urban Splash has secured a major new letting in the Ropwalks area of Liverpool, welcoming international gaming school The Game Assembly (TGA) to the city.
The Game Assembly has taken 7,000 sq ft at the Tea Factory building in the Ropewalks, joining a thriving network of creative and digital businesses including Pixel Beard which recently renewed its lease on 1,507 sq ft of space at the neighbouring Vanilla Factory. The deals further cements Liverpool’s position as home to a burgeoning tech community, recently highlighted in the Tech Climbers 2025 list, which recognised 19 of the city region’s most innovative companies – with a further 10 tipped as ones to watch.
Consistently ranked among the world’s top game development and design schools by The Rookies, The Game Assembly is recognised globally for its pioneering study model – combining agile, team-based projects with real-world industry collaboration. Around 10% of Sweden’s game industry professionals are TGA alumni, many of whom now work for leading studios across Europe, including Avalanche, Studio Gobo, Frontier, and Cloud Imperium Games.
Matt Wilson at The Game Assembly said: “Liverpool is a city with a proud creative heritage and a fast-growing digital economy – making it the perfect home for The Game Assembly’s UK expansion.
“Our mission is to equip aspiring developers with the skills and mindset to thrive in the games industry, and this new base at the Tea Factory allows us to strengthen our ties with UK studios while offering students an inspiring and collaborative environment in which to learn.”
Ryan Leigh, Commercial Lettings Surveyor at Urban Splash, added: “We are delighted to welcome The Game Assembly to the Tea Factory, it was a pleasure to work with them and provide a new home for them in the UK. This deal reflects our commitment to creating well-designed, versatile workspaces that meet the needs of a diverse range of businesses – from creative start-ups to global names.”
Other names joining Urban Splash’s central Liverpool portfolio this month include Feeding Liverpool, DGB Bars Liverpool LTD, and LDPC LTD who took a combined total of 2,455 sq ft of space at Vanilla Factory. Emma Gardiner, Head of Commercial Property at Urban Splash added: “Liverpool’s Ropewalks has long been a magnet for creative talent, and with The Game Assembly joining our community here, it further strengthens the area’s reputation as a centre for digital innovation. The city’s recent success in the Tech Climbers list shows how dynamic the tech ecosystem has become – and we’re proud to provide the space for it to thrive.”
The Vanilla Factory is one of Urban Splash’s most established commercial buildings, offering design-led studios and offices in the heart of Liverpool’s Ropewalks district. The building has long attracted creative and digital businesses, underlining Urban Splash’s role in regenerating key UK city neighbourhoods into thriving places to live, work and play.
