The findings come from TIGA, the trade association representing the UK video games industry, and its Making Games in the UK 2023 report, based on an extensive survey of UK games businesses.

Specifically, the number of discrete, active, verified Scottish games development companies increased from 147 to 162, representing a change of 10.2%. This is compared to an 11.9% increase for the whole UK industry over the same period.

Regarding staff numbers, Scotland has 2,338 permanent and full-time equivalent creative staff working on games development. This is up from 2,269 in December 2021. Across the UK, the number of full-time (and equivalent) staff is 24,155.

Scotland is currently the fifth largest games cluster in the UK in terms of headcount after London, the South East, the North West and the West Midlands. It’s also home to 7.7% of the UK’s total games companies, and 9.8% of its developer headcount.

Scottish games development companies are estimated to annually invest £161 million in salaries and overheads, contribute £133 million in direct and indirect tax revenues to HM Treasury, and make a direct and indirect contribution of £357 million to the UK’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Speaking on Scotland’s position in the game industry, Dr Richard Wilson OBE, the CEO at TIGA, said: “Scotland is one of the world’s most important games development clusters.

“It’s home to world leading and successful studios, including Rockstar, as well as over 2,300 creative staff in 162 studios. It has a number of excellent universities, whose courses includes TIGA Accredited degrees from Abertay University and the University of the West of Scotland. It has one of the best funding environments supported by Scottish Enterprise and Dundee’s UK Games Fund.

“Dundee is also a centre of excellence for collaboration between academia and industry, in particular the outstanding R&D work carried out by InGAME, which is led by Abertay University, in partnership with the University of Dundee and the University of St Andrews.”

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Professor Gregor White, Dean of the School of Design and Informatics at Abertay University added: “The continued growth of the games sector in Scotland, and across the UK more widely, once again demonstrates how integral this fast-moving and ever-evolving industry has become to the digital economy, but also the need for continued R&D and innovation support at both Scottish and UK Government level, in order to keep pace with overseas competitors.

“The success of InGAME, which has catalysed an estimated £84.7m GVA for the UK economy, is an excellent example of what can be achieved through a shared games cluster ecosystem designed to bring industry and academia together.”