Tranzfuser 2022 Winners Announced

Tranzfuser 2022 Winners Announced

Winning teams from this year’s competition named as studios reflect on the successes of a return to in-person public showcasing.

Four graduate studios from across the UK have today been announced as winners of this year’s Tranzfuser competition, each securing grants from the UK Games Fund of up to £20,000 for the continued commercial development of the game they worked on during the competition.

With due diligence now complete, we are now able to announce the games to be selected for continued support from the UK Games Fund are:

  • Skera from Skera VR (direct applicants to Tranzfuser, University for the Creative Arts graduates)
    A single player, puzzle-solving action adventure game designed for VR.
  • Escalar from Skyline Studios, working with Local Hub the University of South Wales
    A single-player fantasy-based third person adventure precision platformer.
  • Shuttle Revolution from Head Empty Studios, working with Local Hub the University of Huddersfield, Enterprise Team
    A stylist 2.5D badminton fighting game with a diverse cast aiming for the same goal.
  • Engines of Destruction (EoD) from ReEngage, working with Local Hub Abertay University
    A multiplayer first person shooter with great emphasis on mechs, realism and tactical gameplay.

This year’s competition saw the return to the in-person culmination of the competition as the 21 participating teams took to the showfloor at London’s ExCeL arena as part of the UK’s biggest consumer-facing games show, EGX. Each studio had the unrivalled opportunity to have their games played (and tested!) by the enthusiastic game-playing public as well as being invited to pitch to the UK Games Fund during the event.

Speaking of the impact of funding on the project, Scott Dickens from Skyline Studios said:

“The impact of funding goes beyond helping us maintain a financially viable studio, it has been a massive morale boost to my team. It has injected fresh enthusiasm into the Studio, and made us more determined than ever to see the project through to release.”

The addition of these young and talented studios to the UK Games Fund portfolio further strengthens the indie dev sector in the UK as one that continues to grow and thrive. DCMS, the government department responsible for providing funding for both the UK Games Fund and Tranzfuser, has continually supported the successes of the competition over the years and recently announced further funding for future years of the competition.

Deborah Farley, Head of Talent and Outreach at UK Games Talent and Finance, said:

“All of this year’s Tranzfuser teams were enthusiastically dedicated to the competition, each demonstrating their commitment to learn and grow, along with resilience in the face of challenge. It was a delight to see the teams showcase their hard work to the public for the first time in three years and every team embraced the experience with open arms.”

My congratulations go to the selected companies, we look forward to seeing their progress as they continue development on their games and commercial offering. It is my firm belief (and experience) that, regardless of the outcome, the Tranzfuser teams represent the future of the UK game dev sector and it has been a privilege to play a small part in their journey. Well done all!”

More information about the winning studios and their games can be fund here.

Tranzfuser 2022 teams were presented with an opportunity to express interest in the upcoming DunDev project, UKGTF’s first hothousing residential project in January 2023 designed to support the success of high-potential teams. News of the successfully selected Tranzfuser 2022 team will be shared soon.