Shaping Sport Culture Through Simulatio­n

From their studio at Here East, the team is building an immersive parallel world that exists and evolves alongside the beautiful game. They are a pioneer in football simulation and a cornerstone of football culture, driven by collaboration, passion, authenticity, and tenacious ambition.

As Sports Interactive says, their “games don’t just emulate sport; they shape it.”

To learn more about their story, we spoke to the team to hear about their 2035 vision and how their "collaborative DNA" is helping them navigate the frontier of generative AI and cross-platform play.

Read on to find out what they had to say.

Give us an elevator pitch of your company.

Sports Interactive: “We are the world’s leading developer of sports management simulations. We create immersive parallel gaming worlds that let players live and breathe their passions. Our games don’t just emulate sport; they shape it, and the impact of what we do makes us part of sports culture.”

Describe your vision, culture, and 2026 ambitions in a few short words – plus, tell us which emerging gaming technology excites you.

Sports Interactive: “Collaborative. Passionate. Authentic. These define our culture and vision. As for our ambition this year, that would have to be: Tenacious. And we’re very excited about cross-platform integration, which will allow players using different types of devices – e.g., PC, consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch), and mobile – to play together in the same virtual space.”

Where do you find inspiration for your work in creating new next-gen player experiences?

Sports Interactive: “We take inspiration from pretty much everywhere and we’re tremendously passionate about what we do. We're also fanatical about the game ourselves – we live and breathe it – and there's daily conversations about what’s going on in the real football world that we can reflect in the gaming world.”

“It’s this that shapes our approach as a studio. We believe that ideas belong to everyone. For example, we have an internal game features database that’s constantly updated and refreshed with ideas from both our passionate, dedicated community and all teams across the studio. We supplement this with dedicated monthly sessions with people from the world of football that teach us more about how the business of football really works.

“Collaboration is in our DNA: We score far more together than we ever could individually.”

Imagine it’s 2035: What do you envision the UK gaming industry will look like?

Sports Interactive: “Technology is developing rapidly – for studios, in how games are made, and also in how people are playing those games. These tech advancements – combined with the rise of generative AI and an increasingly instant, interconnected online world – means that player expectations and needs will evolve significantly.

“As leaders in our field, we need to be at the forefront of those changes, meeting our players right where they are. Then, beyond the games themselves, we hope (and expect) to see the wider industry adopt more environmentally sustainable practices on the path towards net zero.”

What do you hope to learn from other tenants at Here East?

Sports Interactive: “While our studio is anchored in the core values of collaboration, tenacity and ambition – the variety of tenants at Here East brings a whole host of other lived experiences, skillsets and areas of expertise.

“We also already collaborate with several of the Here East family, including BADU. As part of this partnership, we’ve deepened our roots in the local community by sponsoring their grassroots women’s football team and investing into coaching development opportunities for women and girls.”

“Tapping into the diverse experiences and practices of people and organisations in the Here East ecosystem helps us to never settle; finding those marginal gains that can make our games better – year after year – and enrich our team members.”

Thank you to Sports Interactive for sharing your story with us!