Scottish accents pop up in all sorts of media, from blockbuster films and fantasy TV series - and video games are no exception.
Whether it’s first-person shooters (FPS) such as Valorant or narrative driven titles such as Still Wakes The Deep, characters from Scotland aren’t necessarily rare to find in games especially when you consider that the Call of Duty franchise features a Scottish protagonist.
Then there’s characters such as Korsica from Hi-Fi Rush or Horizon from Apex Legends who aren’t from Scotland - or even Earth - but who inexplicably have Scottish accents, with the opposite also being true: characters who are said to be from Scotland but who are without an accent.
Regardless of whether it’s a character with a tenuous connection to Scotland or one built entirely around stereotypes, here are 15 Scottish characters in video games.
1. John ‘Soap’ MacTavish – Call of Duty
Arguably the most iconic character to be included in this list of Scottish video game characters is John ‘Soap’ MacTavish from Call of Duty. One of the main characters in the Modern Warfare games, he also appears in Call of Duty: Heroes and Call of Duty: Online. An SAS soldier, the fan favourite is a sniper and demolitions expert. When Soap first appeared in 2009’s Modern Warfare 2 he was voiced by Kevin McKidd, however since the series reboot in 2019 he has been played by fellow Scottish actor, Neil Ellice. | Activision
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2. Horizon – Apex Legends
Initially released in 2019, Apex Legends is another free-to-play FPS, much like Valorant. In 2020, during the game’s seventh season, Horizon joined its line-up of playable characters. Also known as Dr. Mary Somers, Horizon’s powers are gravity based and while her homeworld isn’t Scottish, her accent is. She is voiced by Scotland-born actress, Elle Newlands. | EA
3. Clove – Valorant
In 2024, Riot Games added their first ever Scottish agent to Valorant, one of the most popular games in the world. Clove is a non-binary character from Edinburgh who is voiced by Scottish actor Isla Campbell. Described as loyal and rebellious, the character has the ability to revive players from the dead after defeat, playing into the Scottish capital’s links beyond death. | Riot Games
4. Senua – Hellblade
Introduced in Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (2017) and appearing in 2024 sequel Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, the titular character Senua is a Scottish character. While she may not have a Scottish accent, Senua is a Pict warrior from a village in Orkney. The dark fantasy games follow the character as she struggles with her mental health, immersing players in her hallucinations and psychosis, and attempts to make her way to Helheim to rescue the soul of her dead lover from the goddess Hela. | Xbox Game Studios / Ninja Theory