BAFTA Picks Five Games Creatives for 2026 Breakthroughs
The games cohort includes developers behind The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters, Rogue Eclipse and Pieced Together, in a 21-person UK list backed by Netflix.
BAFTA has announced its Breakthroughs list for 2026, naming 21 emerging creatives across UK film, games and television. The games group includes five people: Eloise Singer, Husban Siddiqi, Kate Killick, Niru Fekri-Arnold and Tom McKay, according to gamesindustry.biz.
Those selected receive career guidance, access to industry networking events and full BAFTA membership. The programme is supported by Netflix.
Singer works as a writer and director on The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters and is CEO and creative director of Singer Studios. Siddiqi is game director and developer on Rogue Eclipse, which was among the first titles funded by Innersloth's Outersloth indie games fund in 2024 and was his debut project. Killick is CEO and creative director of Glowfrog Games, where she serves as creative director on Pieced Together, the studio's debut title, which launched last year.
Fekri-Arnold is creator and designer on Cursed Words, while McKay is a performer on the Mysteria Ecclesiae: Kingdom Come Deliverance DLC.
The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters is an Emmy-nominated VR experience narrated by Lucy Liu. The franchise is set to expand in 2027 with an international tour, a graphic novel co-written by Singer and Liu, and a new game. This year's selection marks Singer's eighth attempt at being chosen for the Breakthrough initiative.
Quick answers
How many people are on BAFTA's 2026 Breakthroughs list?
The list comprises 21 creatives across UK film, games and television.
What do BAFTA Breakthroughs recipients get?
They receive career guidance, access to industry networking events and full BAFTA membership.
Who supports the BAFTA Breakthroughs programme?
The programme is supported by Netflix.