Heighway Pinball

Heighway Pinball was founded in 2012 by Andrew Heighway in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, becoming the first UK-based company in decades to attempt large-scale pinball manufacturing. At a time when many believed the pinball industry was in decline, Heighway Pinball emerged with the goal of reviving the craft on British soil. The company soon relocated to a larger facility in Ebbw Vale, Wales, and reached its peak production capacity in the mid-2010s with a workforce of around 25 staff.

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Its debut title, Full Throttle (2015), was a high-speed motorcycle-themed machine celebrated for its 10-inch LCD screen embedded directly into the playfield. The second title, Alien (2017), secured the official license from the Alien film series and quickly captured the attention of enthusiasts due to its iconic theme. Heighway Pinball pioneered several innovative approaches, such as modular playfields allowing easy swaps of different game themes in a single cabinet. Despite its early successes, the company struggled with production delays and faced significant financial challenges. In 2017, Andrew Heighway stepped down, and by April 2018, the firm had ceased operations and entered liquidation. Its assets were eventually acquired by Pinball Brothers, who continued the Alien project, thus ensuring that Heighway Pinball’s legacy would still be felt within the industry.