Edinburgh to host world's biggest card game championship
Android: Netrunner was a card game produced by Fantasy Flight Games between 2012 and 2018 but their licensing agreement on the IP expired.
A group of volunteers and engaged fans took up the game's mantle and have been successfully running tournaments and releasing new content as Null Signal Games, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the continuation and management of the game.
READ MORE: John Swinney urged to put 'country before party' and join Independence Summit
Null Signal Games' organised play manager, Jeff Pruyne, said: 'This is our fourth in-person world since the pandemic, and it's on track to be the largest gathering of Netrunner players ever.
'We've been expanding the event every year, and we're excited to offer learn-to-play events on Sunday, along with support for all kinds of involvement, including cosplay, trivia and alternative formats.'
Netrunner is an asymmetrical duel where one player takes on the role of a nefarious corporation determined to advance their agenda, and one player acts as the Runner, a hacker who is trying to stop them from controlling or destroying the world.
Mike Prosser, a player from Glasgow who has been part of the community since 2015, said that the model of the game made it more accessible to him in the beginning: 'It doesn't feel like it wants to financially punish me.'
Unlike other competitive card games, Netrunner does not demand that players shell out money on randomised booster packs. Instead, it operates more like a traditional board game – players buy each set in its entirety when released, with no luck or trading required.
(Image: Null Signal Games)
Prosser continued: 'The really tight integration between the Cyberpunk themes and the game's mechanics instantly sold me on the game.'
Chris Dyer, a veteran player and former world champion, said: 'Netrunner instantly felt very refreshing and different to every other card game I'd played, which are inevitably variations on creatures beating each other up.
'By contrast, Netrunner is vividly imaginative; an asymmetrical cerebral duel where one player constructs an elaborate puzzle for the other to try to solve. The core mechanics and structure of the game are brilliantly designed, so the success or failure of both players is constantly on a knife edge, and it's the decisions that you make rather than the cards in your deck that will determine the result. It's endlessly deep, relentlessly skill-testing and incredibly strategic.
'I couldn't be more excited to go to the world championships in Edinburgh. The UK has always had a very enthusiastic group of players that have travelled all over the world to play competitive Netrunner, often with great success, so it's fitting that the most prestigious event on the calendar is finally on home soil.
'Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities, and it's home to a lot of great friends that I've met through Netrunner, so I can't wait to spend a weekend catching up with them and playing my favourite card game in a city that I love to visit!'
Edinburgh-based player and former vice-president of engagement for Null Signal Games, Ed Fortune, was part of the team that brought the world championships to the UK for the first time.
'With the UK having one of the largest player bases in the world, it felt like the right time for it to be held here,' he said.
'I had previously helped organise the 2023 world championships in Barcelona, and what struck me was the importance of being able to visit such a fantastic host city.
'Hosting in a culturally significant city that is welcoming to all was really important to me. Scotland has historically been a hub of Netrunner players, with a fantastic community known for putting on great events.
'This made my adopted home city of Edinburgh the obvious choice, and the Scottish community put forward a compelling case for the world championships to be hosted here.
'Accommodation is abundant, good food is everywhere, and the city is on many people's bucket lists to visit.'
Dundee-based player and local organiser Ronan McGarry added: 'Edinburgh is well-suited for the event, a dense city that will encourage locality in the attendees. It's a great city – beautiful, friendly and accommodating. I'm really confident that all the attendees will have a great time at worlds.
'As a local organiser, I've seen the level of excitement that worlds in Scotland has generated among both newer and veteran players. Our community chats have been busy, turnout to weekly events is up and interest is at a high. It's really a joy to see so much interest in the game after so long.'
Pruyne highlighted Edinburgh's range of amenities and tourist attractions that visitors can easily walk to, adding: 'Edinburgh had a ton of ways for people to travel into the city, along with a strong local scene to help us find volunteers, venue scouts and evangelists for the city. Scotland was an obvious choice for us in terms of selecting a city we thought people from around the world would be excited to travel to.'
The tournament will be happening in Dovecot Studios, an arts and heritage site in the city centre. Pruyne said that working with an arts venue suits the organisation well: 'A big part of our community includes artists making custom card arts, game components and artwork that we're looking forward to displaying during the event,' he said.
The 2022 and 2023 world champion William Huang, who is based in Toronto, is looking forward to coming to Scotland to reclaim his crown: 'I'll definitely be coming to Scotland to try to win a third time. It's an exciting time for the game after a big rotation and I look forward to competing.
'I've never been to Scotland before but I've heard great things about the community there so I'm sure it'll be a great time.'
The event is almost sold out but players can join the waitlist for tickets at Null Signal Games' website.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Genuine opportunity for business but momentum at risk of stalling
We welcome the Chancellor's £86 billion commitment to science, technology and research, as well as funding for the vital Acorn Project in Aberdeenshire, and the £750 million restoration of the Edinburgh University supercomputer. These decisions will help cement Scotland's place at the cutting edge of global industries as well as generate jobs, boost regional economies, and spur commercialisation of ideas born in our world-class universities. The UK Government's plan to increase defence spending from 2% to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027 also represents a significant economic opportunity for Scotland to expand the industrial base and create jobs in productive industries like advanced manufacturing. Our aerospace, defence, security and space sectors provide 430,000 jobs and the Acorn Project carbon capture and storage facility will create 15,000 more in construction alone - as well as making the Northeast a world leader in the low-carbon industry and attracting billions in private investment. By focusing on high-growth sectors like carbon capture, information technology (IT), biotechnology and life sciences, as well as increased defence spending, the Government is signalling the right priorities. Alongside the additional £2.9bn allocation for Scotland through the Barnett Formula, it's another shot in the arm for industrial growth. Scotland's businesses will be buoyed by the potential this unlocks. The UK Government's Modern Industrial Strategy, published last week, reinforced these investments with a plan ready for implementation. Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) has long called for a joined-up approach to developing our major industries, and last week the Government indicated it was listening, giving a vote of confidence to Scotland's manufacturers and innovators. But let's be clear: without urgent, coordinated reform, this good news could be squandered if the headaches businesses face every day are not resolved: Soaring operational costs, including the hike in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) and the highest energy bills in Europe Inadequate business rates support, hitting our struggling high streets and the hospitality sector hardest The bureaucratic burdens and constraints in planning blocking progress on infrastructure projects and private investment The huge staffing and skills shortage thwarting our ambitions and ability to grow to meet current and future demand The Spending Review commitments can put the UK economy on a pathway to growth, but it's clear the Treasury needs more financial flexibility to invest in long-term assets such as transport, infrastructure, connectivity and logistics. The Chancellor should heed calls from the International Monetary Fund and leading economists to review the Government's fiscal rules. Read more Closer to home, it was encouraging to hear the First Minister, John Swinney, affirm his commitment at the Scotland 2050 conference to align policy with economic opportunity. Business desperately needs clarity and leadership, and we are starting to see this approach bear fruit. Earlier this month, EY reported that one in six UK investment projects were based in Scotland, underlining our nation's structural attractiveness to investors, second only to London. However, spending promises on building projects and transport infrastructure will amount to empty words without the necessary reforms to get the system moving at pace. Why does it currently take 58 weeks to process a planning application in Glasgow, yet just 16 weeks in Manchester? Worryingly, we are also forecast to need 700 additional planners to meet market demand with no clear plan to meet that number anytime soon. The cost of building is higher in Scotland than the rest of the UK, largely because of the Scottish Government's higher regulatory standards. Whilst this may be well-intentioned, some regulations are clearly becoming an impediment to growth. Strategic thinking is required to balance sensible regulation against economic necessity. Smart reforms are also needed across the public sector to ensure best practice and streamlined and simplified processes are aligned with key business priorities. These are all critical areas we must address if we are to maximise the opportunities for jobs and economic growth offered by the Spending Review. We simply have to take this positive momentum and capitalise on it. Read more The Scottish Government also outlined its budget priorities last week, pledging to expand borrowing for capital spending in construction and renewables, but with a welcomed emphasis on public sector reform. The Finance Secretary has expressed her intention to maximise every penny of investment through efficiencies and technical improvement, boosting productivity in the long term. This is something every sector of the economy stands to benefit from. While Scottish Government spending is significantly shaped by the Barnett Formula, which ensures that a population-based adjustment is made to align spending in devolved areas such as health or education, the Scottish Government has outlined clear priorities and a direction of travel to business. Westminster and Holyrood must now work in close collaboration to support these investments with a laser focus on delivery, removing obstacles to growth and finding solutions for businesses weighed down by spiralling costs and excessive regulation. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce and our Network are ready and willing to work in partnership with governments and help businesses navigate the business challenges and economic opportunities. Collaboration is the key to secure the growth and jobs we so badly need. Liz Cameron is chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Scotsman
Scotland First Minister John Swinney visits record-breaking exhibition at Dovecot Studios
Last week First Minister John Swinney enjoyed a visit to the record-breaking exhibition The Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives at Dovecot Studios Edinburgh. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The exhibition marks a century since the four Scottish Colourists, FCB Cadell, JD Fergusson, SJ Peploe, GL Hunter, widely recognised as Scotland's most pioneering artists of the early 20th century, exhibited together as a quartet for the first time in London. Dovecot's exhibition to mark this centenary shows the Colourists enduring appeal. With building visitors pegged at over 90,000 in the past 12 months, Dovecot has increased its annual pre-pandemic footfall by over 50%*. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celia Joicey, Director of Dovecot Studios says: "We are absolutely thrilled by the phenomenal response to The Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives exhibition — expert curation from the Fleming Collection, has attracted new audiences and supported deeper public engagement with the Colourists' work. FM John Swinney at Dovecot Studios "Creating an exhibition programme with wide appeal, which includes forthcoming exhibitions on IKEA design and 20th century fashion, is crucial to our survival as a 21st century arts organisation and we are grateful to our visitors for its success." Dovecot's increased footfall is distinctive. It has been recently reported that UK galleries are suffering from a decline in visitor numbers due to Brexit, the aftermath of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis (I Paper, 2025; Art Plugged, 2025). By contrast, Dovecot's landmark show on The Scottish Colourists is now the most attended in the organisation's history, surpassing the highly successful Grayson Perry show in 2019. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bucking a slow start to the year for many museums and galleries, with a sector report citing visitors are still 10% down on pre- pandemic numbers (Association of Cultural Enterprise and Museum & Galleries Edinburgh, 2025), the exhibition has resonated with new and local visitors. 35% of those surveyed said they were first time visitors to the gallery. FM John Swinney at Dovecot Studios Dovecot cites the quality of its public programme and curating as a factor in this success. The exhibition places the Scottish Colourists alongside their European and UK contemporaries for the first time, challenging conventions around who should be considered the leading radical painters from 1905 to the outbreak of war in 1914. The exhibition is also supported by talks, events and workshops. James Knox, Exhibition Curator and a Director of the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation, says: "The critical reassessment we've undertaken in this exhibition has allowed us to show these artists in a new light, demonstrating how their work remains deeply relevant today. It's inspiring to see these iconic Scottish artists being celebrated 100 years on since their first exhibition and how this international generation of radical painters forged a new language of colour in the early 20th Century." Knox believes the appeal of the exhibition highlights the vital importance of championing Scottish art through fresh critical reassessment. For example, for the first time the exhibition sees the Colourists work shown alongside Fauve painters Henri Matisse and André Derain. Major institutional loans include Derain's renowned Fauvist work, Pool of London, lent by Tate, key works by Bloomsbury Group innovators Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, as well as major examples from Walter Sickert's more nuanced Camden Town Group. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It also shows many works held in private collections not seen by the public before. Thanks to the support of so many lenders, The Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives is an opportunity to mark a key moment in the ongoing revival of Scottish art, and its relevance on a global stage. FM John Swinney at Dovecot Studios Due to the higher-than-anticipated attendance to date, Dovecot Studios have extended the exhibition by a day, until Sunday, June 29, to ensure as many visitors as possible have the opportunity to see the work of the Scottish Colourists displayed alongside their better-known European contemporaries. * 58,353 Dovecot building visitors 1 June – 31 May 2019 compared with 88,774 1 June 2024 – 31 May 2025 (i.e. 52% increase)
STV News
19-06-2025
- STV News
Royal Highland Show to welcome over 200,000 visitors to annual agricultural event
Scotland's largest outdoor agricultural event is set to open its gates to over 200,000 people in Edinburgh. Taking place in Ingliston, The Royal Highland Show will run over four days from Thursday until Sunday and will see the best of Scotland's rural sector, from farming to forestry to food and drink producers. Visitors will experience family entertainment as hundreds of businesses fill the grounds, selling everything from agricultural machinery, clothing and motor vehicles to Scottish food and drink products. We take a look at what to expect from this year's event. The event, which has been running for over 200 years, will welcome over 4,000 livestock, hundreds of trade exhibitors including those from Scotland's food and drink sector, and a huge variety of entertainment and music. Sheepshearing, pole-climbing, axe throwing, mini Land Rovers, pizza building, cheese tasting and sushi rolling are among the visitor attractions for this year. There are various livestock breeds from miniature Shetland ponies to donkeys, goats to Highland cows being shown in the arena on every day of the show. Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn will host a Sunday entertainment showcase from 11am at the Members' Village, while Elephant Sessions will perform at the Royal Highland Hoolie, joining The Whistlin' Donkeys, Manran, Trail West, Nati Dreddd and the Dangleberries. IAN GEORGESON via Supplied Sheep-shearing will be among the activities on show. The event is a chance for Scotland's most prominent brands to promote their goods and services on the world stage and to encourage further growth and investment. This includes exhibits from a number of UK Government-funded projects, including The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Destination Tweed. Scottish secretary Ian Murray will host a reception with the Scotch Whisky Association to promote the national tipple. He said: 'The Royal Highland Show is a fantastic opportunity to bang the drum for our iconic produce and help turbo-charge sales of Scottish goods and services at home and abroad.' First Minister John Swinney is set to attend the Edinburgh event, and he has reaffirmed his government's commitment to sustainable food production amid 'significant change' in the farming sector, ahead of the visit. Swinney said: 'Our ambition is for Scotland to be a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. To do that we are working in partnership with the sector to transform the support we give to our farmers and crofters. 'The Royal Highland Show is our chance to showcase the absolute best of food produce, farming excellence and all of the industries that support our rural communities.' STV News John Swinney will be in attendance at the show. Meanwhile rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon used the first day of the event to announce a £14m scheme to provide grants to farmers will open next month. The programme – opening for applicants on July 14 – will provide capital funding for those new to agriculture, as well as young farmers, those with small operations and tenant farmers. The Future Farming Investment Scheme will provide cash for green projects and those which will increase efficiency, with up to £20,000 available – potentially as a 100% grant. The announcement comes as Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton called for more support for the sector. 'There is so much uncertainty facing Scottish agriculture amid the family farm tax, trade barriers, falling income and the squeeze placed on farmers by multinational supermarkets,' he said after visiting the Royal Highland Show on Thursday. He added: 'Throughout the Royal Highland Show, Liberal Democrats will be listening to farmers and producers, understanding the challenges they face and working out the best way forward. 'Our farmers are the best in the world. It's time both our governments recognised their invaluable contributions and backed a thriving future for Scottish agriculture.' UPDATE❗⌚ 10:45🛣️ Royal Highland Show (RHS) – Congestion UpdateThe EAST Car Park is now CLOSED. The Event Organiser's have advised to use the WEST car park, along the west A8, heading towards Newbridge. 📷Traffic Cameras: #RHS25 — Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) June 19, 2025 Edinburgh drivers were warned of significant road delays on Thursday as the Royal Highland Show got under way. Traffic Scotland and Lothian have issued updates to road and public transport users with considerable tailbacks reported on the A8, M9, M8 and M90 with visitors entering the showground at Ingliston. Lothian services including the 17, 18, 70 and 71 are all experiencing delays on the A8, the main route to the Royal Highland Centre. A service alert reads: 'Due to the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston buses are being delayed on the A8 Glasgow Road.' A similar alert has also been issued for buses serving the A89 Edinburgh Road including X18 and X19. Meanwhile Traffic Scotland warned: 'Royal Highland Show – Congestion Update. Significant delays of approx. 18 minutes from the #M90 Queensferry Crossing and from the #M8 from Livingston.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
