4J Studios, the developer best known for porting Minecraft to consoles starting with the Xbox 360 in 2012 and most recently to the Switch in 2017, announced it has opened up a new office in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The developer is based in Dundee and the Edinburgh office will be its second. The studio was founded in 2005 by Chris van der Kuyl, Paddy Burns, and Frank Arnot and currently employees over 50 people.
4J Studios last year announced survival sandbox game, Reforj.
“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,” 4J Studios chief executive Paddy Burns told The Scotsman.
“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.”
The video game industry has grown significantly in Scotland with the number of companies operating increasing from 15 to 130 from 2010 to 2024.
“Dice Europe coming to Edinburgh and Dundee is a major moment of international recognition for our home-grown industry,” said 4J Studios chairman Chris van der Kuyl. “It’s vital that the sector and government use this as a catalyst for further cooperation and collaboration, creating the best possible conditions for the many brilliant individuals and studios we have within the sector in Scotland.
“4J is delighted to be part of that story and we hope opening this new office in Edinburgh underlines our commitment to rewarding and nurturing talent.”
A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
Full Article – https://www.vgchartz.com/article/465480/minecraft-console-port-studio-4j-studios-opens-new-office-in-edinburgh/
