Software & Technology

Edinburgh has a well-established games industry. The city is home to RockStar North, the studio that has produced multiple bestselling and award-winning games including the Grand Theft Auto franchise and Red Dead Redemption 2. The fantasy sports company FanDuel was founded in Edinburgh and has its engineering base in the city.

The city is home to multiple other game developers including Ant Workshop (Binaries, Dead End Job, Dungeon Golf), BearHammer Games (BearHammer), Build a Rocket Boy (MindsEye), Haiku Interactive (Dwerp Saga), KeelWorks (Cygni: All Guns Blazing!), Lucky Frame (The Nightmare Cooperative), and Made With Numbers (The Exomachinist). Developers based elsewhere with a presence in the city include 4J Studios (Minecraft, Reforj) and Climax Studios (Age of Empire IV, Returnal).

"The development of Reforj has been gathering pace for several months now and 20 years on from Chris and I launching the studio, this is as exhilarating a time as we can remember for the firm. The pioneer programme is really taking off and it’s fascinating to see how people are experiencing the game and to hear their feedback and be able to incorporate it as we go. We hope we can capitalise on that momentum and sense of energy by opening our first office in Edinburgh, which will give us even better access to the diverse pool of software and design talent that exists in and around the city."

- Paddy Burns, Chief Executive, 4J Studios

In addition to game developers, Edinburgh is also home to multiple companies that provide tools and expertise to the games industry, among them Speech Graphics (a specialist supplier of lip-synch technology for game developers), Kythera (which develops AI middleware for game engines), and AdInMo (which provides an in-game advertising platform). The city is also home to publishers such as Firestoke.

The iGaming sector is growing in Edinburgh, building upon the city's strengths in data analytics and AI. Global sports betting firm FanDuel was founded in Edinburgh in 2009.

"Edinburgh has quietly built the foundations of a world-class iGaming tech hub over the past decade, but the acceleration in the last five years has been significant. Compared to more established hubs like Leeds, Malta or Gibraltar, Edinburgh offers something different: it’s a true technology city first, with iGaming benefiting from the wider tech ecosystem rather than existing in isolation."

- John Gordon, Chief Executive Officer, Incentive Games

Education

Edinburgh College offers a Higher National Diploma in Computer Games Development. Edinburgh Napier University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Games Development, while Heriot-Watt University offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Systems (Games Programming) and a Master of Design degree in Games Design and Development.