Sumo Group is delighted to announce that Carl Cavers, CEO of Sumo Group and co-founder of Sumo Digital, has been awarded the prestigious Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List. This accolade recognises Carl’s 30-year career in the video games industry, including 22 years at the helm of Sumo, as well as his significant service to the video games industry.
Under Carl’s leadership, Sumo Group has grown into one of the most respected companies in the video games industry. His dedication to fostering creativity and excellence has seen the company achieve numerous accolades. This includes Best Companies’ 3-Star Status for workplace engagement, awarded for four consecutive years (2021–2024). The Develop:Star Awards for Best Studio, won three years running (2020–2022). The TIGA STAR for Excellence Award and Employer of the Year Award in 2022. And the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2022. The most prominent business awards in England, with only a handful of businesses in each region being listed annually.
Sumo is best known as a BAFTA award-winning work-for-hire studio, having created high profile games including Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed, LittleBigPlanet 3, Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Crackdown 3. It has also supported the development of acclaimed titles such as Forza Horizon 2, Hogwarts Legacy and Call of Duty Vanguard, and is increasingly developing and publishing its own projects, such as Snake Pass and Still Wakes The Deep.
Beyond the Sumo studios, Carl has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing the video games industry and supporting charitable initiatives.
Carl is a Board Member of TIGA, ensuring the UK industry remains competitive globally. As a Patron and more recently a Trustee of Solving Kids’ Cancer UK, Carl has supported initiatives raising awareness and vital funds for the charity since 2021. As Honorary Vice President for award winning games industry charity SpecialEffect, Carl contributes to ensure it can continue to champion innovative technology to empower disabled gamers worldwide. He also supported the National Video Games Museum in Sheffield, helping to preserve the cultural legacy of gaming for future generations. His dedication has been recognised with numerous accolades, including TIGA’s Outstanding Individual Award and an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University.
Speaking about the award, Carl said:
"I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition. This is a testament to the incredible teams I’ve had the privilege to work with and the vibrant community that makes the video games industry so special. There are lots of people I want to thank, too many to list, however it is the people in our industry who make it great and to stand alongside them and be recognised for contributing really is the honour in itself. I remain committed to supporting our industry’s growth, inclusivity, and creativity while giving back to the communities that have supported me throughout my career. “
Sir Ian Livingstone, General Partner, Hiro Capital LLP commented:
“I have had the pleasure of knowing Carl for over 20 years. He is a highly professional individual with the highest integrity. As CEO of Sumo Group, he has done an incredible job in growing the company he co-founded from a small start-up in Sheffield into an internationally renowned group of video games studios. My experience in working with Carl has proved to me that he is a credit to the video games industry and the wider business world, and that he is thoroughly deserving of this Honour.”
Sumo Group congratulate Carl on this well-deserved recognition of his remarkable contributions.