Privacy Policy

Last updated: 10 August 2026

The Games Ark is committed to respecting your privacy and protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through The Games Ark website, why we collect it, how we use it, who we may share it with and your rights under UK data protection law.

We process personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Where applicable, we also comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR).

1. Who we are

The Games Ark is operated by:

For the purposes of data protection law, [LEGAL NAME] is the data controller for the personal information collected through this website.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use your information, contact us at [PRIVACY EMAIL ADDRESS].

2. Information we collect

We collect information that you choose to provide to us when you use the website. This may include:

• Name
• Email address
• Country
• Organisation
• Role or discipline
• Career or education stage
• Game development experience
• Skills and areas of interest
• Information about a game or project
• Information about a team
• Information provided through our incubation registration form
• Information provided through Framework enquiries
• Information provided through contact forms
• Information you include in messages to us

We may also collect limited technical information when you visit the website, such as:

• IP address
• Browser and device type
• Operating system
• Pages visited
• Referring website
• Date and time of visits
• Technical information required to operate and secure the website

We only collect information that is relevant to the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

3. How we use your information

We use personal information for the following purposes.

Website operation

To:

• Operate and maintain the website
• Keep the website secure
• Prevent abuse and malicious activity
• Diagnose technical problems
• Improve the website

Incubation programme

If you register your interest in a Games Ark Foundation incubation programme, we use the information you provide to:

• Understand interest in future programmes
• Plan future programmes
• Contact you about relevant incubation opportunities
• Tell you when applications open
• Communicate with you about the programme

Registering your interest does not guarantee a place on an incubation programme.

The ARK Framework™

If you contact us about The ARK Framework™, we use your information to:

• Respond to your enquiry
• Provide information about the Framework
• Discuss licensing
• Discuss training or certification
• Discuss potential partnerships
• Manage communications with organisations interested in the Framework

Events

Where you register for or enquire about a Games Ark event, we may use your information to:

• Manage your registration
• Communicate important event information
• Respond to questions
• Manage attendance
• Provide information relating to the event

General enquiries

If you contact us, we use your information to respond to your enquiry and manage any resulting conversation or relationship.

4. Our lawful bases for processing

Under UK GDPR, we need a lawful basis for using personal information.

Depending on what we are doing, we may rely on:

Consent

We may rely on your consent when you actively choose to provide information or agree to a particular use of your information. For example, this may apply to:

• Optional marketing communications
• Optional cookies
• Certain communications about future programmes

You can withdraw consent at any time.

Legitimate interests

We may use personal information where it is necessary for our legitimate interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights. Our legitimate interests may include:

• Operating The Games Ark
• Managing our community
• Responding to enquiries
• Developing our programmes
• Developing The ARK Framework™
• Managing relationships with organisations
• Maintaining website security
• Preventing misuse of the website

Contract

Where you enter into an agreement with The Games Ark, we may process information where necessary to enter into or perform that agreement.

Legal obligations

We may process information where necessary to comply with legal or regulatory obligations.

5. Incubation Register Interest

The Games Ark Foundation may operate incubation programmes designed to help people gain practical experience and develop sustainable game studios.

Our Register Interest form allows people to tell us that they are interested in future programmes. The form may ask for:

• Name
• Email address
• Country
• Career or education stage
• Primary discipline
• Skills
• Game development experience
• Information about an existing project
• Whether you have a team
• What you hope to gain from incubation
• What you would like to build

We use this information to understand potential interest and communicate with people about relevant incubation opportunities.

• We will not sell this information.
• We will not use information provided through the registration form for unrelated marketing without an appropriate lawful basis.
• You can ask us to remove your information at any time.

6. The ARK Framework™ enquiries

The ARK Framework™ is a framework for responsible volunteer-led and incubation game programmes.

If you contact us about the Framework, we may collect your:

• Name
• Email address
• Organisation
• Organisation type
• Country
• Area of interest
• Message

We use this information to respond to your enquiry and, where appropriate, discuss:

• Framework licensing
• Training
• Certification
• Programme assessment
• Educational use
• Partnerships

7. Emails and marketing

If you provide your email address to register interest in an incubation programme or contact us, we may use it to respond to your enquiry or provide information directly related to that request.

Where we send marketing or promotional communications, we will comply with applicable electronic marketing rules. You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time.

We will not sell your email address to third parties.

8. Who we share your information with

We do not sell your personal information.

We may use trusted third-party service providers to operate the website and provide services on our behalf. Depending on how the website is configured, these may include providers for:

• Website hosting
• Form processing
• Email
• Databases
• Cloud storage
• Analytics
• Website security
• Event registration

These providers may process personal information on our behalf.

Where appropriate, we will have suitable data protection arrangements in place with organisations that process information for us.

We may also disclose information where required by law or where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

9. Discord

The Games Ark uses Discord as an online community platform.

If you choose to join The Games Ark Discord server, Discord will process your information under its own privacy policy and terms. The Games Ark does not control how Discord processes information on its platform.

Information that is visible to Games Ark administrators or moderators through Discord may be used for legitimate community purposes, including:

• Community management
• Moderation
• Safety
• Responding to community issues
• Programme administration

Joining the Discord community is optional.

10. Cookies and website technologies

The Games Ark website may use cookies and similar technologies.

Some technologies may be strictly necessary for the website to operate. Other technologies, such as analytics or tracking technologies, may require your consent before they are used.

Where consent is required, we will ask for your consent before setting or using the relevant technology. You will be able to change or withdraw your cookie preferences.

We will provide information about the cookies and similar technologies used by the website, their purposes and, where relevant, the third parties involved.

UK rules on cookies and similar technologies are governed by PECR alongside data protection law. The ICO requires clear information and, for non-exempt technologies, prior consent.

11. International data transfers

Some of the services we use may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred outside the UK, we will use an appropriate legal mechanism and safeguards where required by UK data protection law. This may include an adequacy decision or appropriate contractual safeguards.

12. How long we keep your information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. For example:

Register Interest information

We will periodically review information submitted through the incubation registration form and remove or anonymise information that is no longer reasonably required.

Contact enquiries

We will normally keep correspondence for as long as necessary to respond to the enquiry and manage any resulting relationship.

Framework enquiries

We may retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to manage an ongoing enquiry or relationship.

Where we are legally required to retain information for a longer period, we will do so.

13. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you may have rights including:

• The right to be informed about how we use your information
• The right of access to personal information we hold about you
• The right to rectification of inaccurate information
• The right to erasure in certain circumstances
• The right to restrict processing in certain circumstances
• The right to data portability where applicable
• The right to object to certain processing
• The right to object to direct marketing

You may also have rights relating to certain forms of automated decision-making. We do not currently make decisions about incubation participation solely through automated decision-making.

14. Withdrawing consent

Where we process your information based on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time.

To withdraw consent or ask us to remove your information, contact [PRIVACY EMAIL ADDRESS].

Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that took place before you withdrew your consent.

15. Making a data protection request

To exercise your rights, contact [PRIVACY EMAIL ADDRESS].

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

We will normally respond within one month, subject to the conditions and extensions permitted by UK GDPR.

16. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

• Unauthorised access
• Loss
• Destruction
• Alteration
• Unauthorised disclosure
• Other unlawful processing

Access to personal information is limited to people and service providers who need it for legitimate purposes.

However, no internet-based service can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

17. Children and young people

The Games Ark website may be accessible to people under 18.

We do not knowingly use this website to collect unnecessary personal information from children.

Where a specific Games Ark programme involves children or young people, we will provide appropriate additional information and safeguards for that programme.

18. Third-party websites

The website may contain links to third-party websites and services. These may include:

• Discord
• Event platforms
• Social media
• Other games industry websites
• Partner organisations

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites.

You should review the privacy policy of any third-party service before providing it with personal information.

19. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our website, programmes or data processing practices change.

When we make significant changes, we will update the date at the top of this page and provide additional information where required. We recommend checking this page periodically.

20. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we have used your personal information, please contact us first at [PRIVACY EMAIL ADDRESS]. We will try to resolve your concern.

You also have the right to complain to the UK's data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): Information Commissioner's Office (opens in a new tab).

21. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal information or your data protection rights, contact:

Last updated: 10 August 2026