If you have played Minecraft on PlayStation, Xbox, or a Nintendo console, you will likely be familiar with the name 4J Studios. This is the porting powerhouse that has been responsible for bringing Minecraft to two generations of consoles (Xbox 360 and Xbox One, PS3 and PS4, Wii U and Nintendo Switch, plus the PlayStation Vita), and has since turned its attention away from Mojang's blocky creation to instead work on its own competitor.
This competitor is known as Reforj, and as for why we're bringing this up, it has recently been reported that 4J Studios is expanding to continue to work on this upcoming game.
As per The Scotsman, 4J Studios has now opened up a new studio in Edinburgh, to build on its Dundee-based headquarters, which will play host to a bunch of extra developers who will be tasked with focussing on "software and design roles."
It's unclear just how many developers will be based at the Edinburgh office, but we are told that 4J currently employs more than 50 individuals, something it intends to grow to prepare for Reforj's arrival in 2026.
Speaking about opening this new location, 4J Studios' chief executive, Paddy Burns added: "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."
This was echoed by chairman Chris Van der Kuyl, who explained: "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."
As for what we should expect from Reforj, the Steam page for the game states it's an open-world sandbox where the aim is to "journey to exotic new worlds, establish settlements in hostile conditions and unlock the secrets of a lost civilization that spans multiple worlds." It'll have procedurally-generated voxel worlds, terraforming and building systems, plus challenges to be undertaken and overcome too.
