Last week, the organisers of the London Games Festival announced 2025’s cohort for its Ensemble initiative.

Curated by author and artistic director Sharna Jackson, the exhibition features a new group of underrepresented games professionals in the UK each year.

Part of 2025’s cohort is Tara Mustapha, CEO and founder of Code Coven. After dropping out of university, Mustapha started her career in the games industry at Backbone Entertainment in 2005.

From there, she worked as a game designer and producer for companies including Electronic Arts, Microsoft Game Studios, and Infusion, before co-founding Glow Up Games in 2018.

That same year, Mustapha founded Code Coven. The global accelerator and academy helps underrepresented developers demonstrate and showcase their skills and talents, leading to industry opportunities, connections, and project funding.

“I didn’t wait for a seat at the table – I built my own platform and brought others with me”

“I wanted to create the kinds of experiences that had meant so much to me – but as I moved through the industry, I kept seeing the same barriers,” explains Mustapha. “Talented people were being overlooked, unsupported, or burning out – not because they lacked skill, but because they lacked the networks, mentorship, and funding to succeed.

“The good thing is that [working in games] has trained me for this. If you fail, you try again. You analyse, adapt, and iterate. If you need to port a game from PlayStation to a Nintendo DS, you don’t just copy and paste – you redesign the experience to fit a new interaction. That’s how games work. That’s how we, as developers, are built to think.

“And yet, when it comes to the industry itself, that mindset isn’t always applied. Instead of evolving, barriers persist. As a woman of colour in games, I’ve had to prove myself over and over, often in rooms where people assumed I didn’t belong. I didn’t wait for a seat at the table – I built my own platform and brought others with me.”

Mustapha describes Code Coven as an “ecosystem” rather than a training program, built to help underrepresented developers demonstrate and showcase their skills and talents, which leads to industry opportunities, connections, and funding for their projects.

She explains that creating Code Coven was out of “necessity, not just passion” due to a lack of infrastructure to support marginalised developers.

“That’s why Code Coven exists,” Mustapha says. “We don’t just talk about talent pipelines; we ensure marginalised developers, whether breaking into the industry or running their own studios, get access to education, funding, mentorship, and real-world industry connections. There was no system in place to address unconscious bias in an industry built around a homogenised perspective – one that often overlooked diverse talent and fresh ideas.

“Talent isn’t enough in this industry. You need mentorship, community, and access to capital. Opportunity has to be intentional. Code Coven is my way of ensuring that the next generation of game developers don’t have to fight the same battles I did.”

Mustapha adds: “We started small, but now, with programs like Aurora, we’re not just teaching people how to make games – we’re helping them build sustainable studios that can survive and thrive for years to come. And in doing so, we’re shaping a more resilient, innovative and inclusive industry that reflects its players.”

Last October, the BFI National Lottery Innovation Challenge provided £510,000 to four innovative projects in the UK games industry, including Code Coven’s Aurora Accelerator and Agency – which is now accepting applications from UK-based studios.

Mustapha describes Aurora as a “two-pronged approach” – an accelerator followed by sessions and information based on what developers need to address the challenges they’re facing.

The Aurora Accelerator features industry feedback and mentorship to navigate the games funding process, while the Aurora Agency provides advisors to guide developers through brokering deals, connecting with industry professionals and attending events.

“Layoffs and studio closures are symptoms of a business model prioritising rapid expansion over long-term sustainability”

“We know what it’s like to be on that side of trying to broker a deal, and have developed incredibly thick skin because of this,” says Mustapha.

“Sadly, a lot of the deals that go towards marginalised developers are less than favourable. For us, it’s about making sure that these developers who are going to make great games are getting to walk away with favourable deal terms in which they have more ownership over their IP as well as their studio and future success.”

“We’re lucky to have a great supportive network,” she adds. “We know who’s going to have our back, who’s going to be ethical and who’s going to show up. We also know what people are looking for, and we want to be that bridge for publishers, funders, and investors who want to know that what they’re investing in is a great and sure project.”

This level of support is especially pertinent in times of crisis, particularly as the games industry is fraught with layoffs, consolidation, and funding shifts.

“Layoffs and studio closures are symptoms of a business model prioritising rapid expansion over long-term sustainability, where high-budget blockbusters were seen as the only viable path to success,” Mustapha explains.

“That’s where Code Coven’s role becomes even more crucial. We’ve always been about empowerment through action – not just highlighting the problems, but creating tangible solutions.

“Programs like Aurora are proving that when we invest in underrepresented talent, we don’t just improve diversity – we build stronger, more resilient studios that reflect gaming’s global audience.”

While it’s important to build sustainable studios with new hires – particularly underrepresented developers – keeping them in the industry and supporting them is crucial, especially during turbulent times.

“Right now, the industry is in survival mode,” says Mustapha. “But survival mode isn’t enough. If we support developers through this moment, we don’t just weather the storm, we future-proof the industry itself.

Code Coven continues to provide support, mentorship, and funding for marginalised talent in the games industry, and Mustapha says improvements are being seen. However, she also emphasises that “the core structural issues remain” – particularly those relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

“With waves of layoffs, political and economic instability, marginalised developers are being hit the hardest,” she explains. “This proves that while DEI was discussed, it was never truly embedded into the industry’s business model – because if it had been, it wouldn’t be the first thing on the chopping block in times of crisis.

“The companies prioritising diversity and sustainability will lead the future”

“We had started to see more diversity at senior levels, and while there’s now a backlash against DEI, I hope that some unconscious biases have been undone. But I also understand that many people are simply trying to survive. For those laid off working under increasing pressure, it’s not about choosing morals and ethics over job security – it’s about navigating an increasingly unstable industry.”

Mustapha continues: “That’s why we can’t let this moment erase progress. Rolling back DEI isn’t just an ethical failure; it’s a bad business decision that will ultimately cost the industry innovation, talent, and revenue. When this industry stabilises – and it will – the companies prioritising diversity and sustainability will lead the future.”

Despite the challenges Mustapha outlines, she says there is still room for optimism. The industry continues to evolve, with Mustapha already noting an increase in funding opportunities, including grants and indie accelerators, developers launching their own studios and deciding to self-publish, and embracing sustainability to enhance growth.

“This isn’t the end of gaming,” she says. “It’s a fundamental shift in how the industry operates. And that’s an opportunity we need to seize.”