Dundee’s Grand Theft Auto story just got a HUGE feature in a major French newspaper
Dundee’s incredible contribution to the global video games industry is making international headlines once again, with one of France’s biggest newspapers publishing a major feature exploring how Grand Theft Auto began right here in the city!
French newspaper Le Monde, through its magazine M Le Magazine du Monde, has taken an in-depth look at the origins of the world-famous gaming franchise, speaking to the people who helped create the original game at Dundee-based DMA Design during the 1990s.
The feature comes as Grand Theft Auto VI prepares to release later this month, the sixth main instalment in the franchise that started out in the city which has already had over $600 million spent in pre-sale orders.
Written by Pierre Trouvé, the piece revisits the early days of Grand Theft Auto, when a small group of young developers working in Dundee could never have imagined that their creation would grow into one of the most successful entertainment franchises in history.
From Dundee to the world
The French publication explores how DMA Design, founded by David Jones and fellow gaming enthusiasts in 1988, helped transform Dundee into an internationally recognised centre for video games development. It also looks back at the studio’s earlier success with Lemmings, another hugely popular game created in the city.
Among those interviewed are former DMA Design developers Brian Baglow, Gary Penn, Gordon Ross, Russell Kay, Keith Hamilton and Brian Lawson, who share their memories of developing the original Grand Theft Auto, including the technical challenges, creative experimentation and unexpected moments that helped shape the game.
The feature also revisits a remarkable BBC report filmed in Dundee in May 1996, when technology journalist Rory Cellan-Jones visited DMA Design to investigate the development of a game that had yet to be released.
Almost three decades later, the footage has attracted more than a million views on YouTube and become a fascinating piece of gaming history.
Remembering the people behind Grand Theft Auto
Alongside the game’s development, Le Monde examines Dundee’s transformation from its traditional manufacturing industries into a centre for digital creativity, highlighting the city’s role in producing both the original Grand Theft Auto and the talent that helped shape the wider gaming industry.
The article also features photographs taken in Dundee in October 2026, including the former DMA Design premises, the city’s waterfront and several of the developers who helped bring the original game to life.
With excitement continuing to build around Grand Theft Auto VI, the international feature is another fantastic reminder of where this extraordinary gaming story began.
What started as an ambitious project in Dundee has become a global phenomenon, and it’s brilliant to see the people and places behind its creation receiving recognition from one of Europe’s most prominent newspapers.
