La Horde

What La Horde does

La Horde is a private higher education institution (La Horde SAS) based in Bordeaux, France, specializing in video game industry training. Founded in 2020 with its first student intake in September 2021, the school delivers Bachelor (Bac+3) and Mastère (Bac+5) degree programs across seven specializations: Programmation, Game Art, Game Design, Technical Artist, Producer, Sound Designer, and Business & Événementiel. Its pedagogical approach, branded "Quest Based Learning," structures the curriculum around individual quests (2-week mini-games), team instances (3-week cross-disciplinary projects), and raids (6-week major projects), with industry-standard tooling including Unity, Unreal Engine, C++, C#, and Python. Students accumulate an average of 20 months of internship experience over the 5-year program.

The school generates revenue primarily through recurring tuition: €7,800 per year for Bachelor years 1-3 and €8,300 per year for Mastère years 4-5 (2026/2027 academic year pricing), with flexible payment schedules (annual, quarterly, monthly). A secondary revenue stream is the CQP ETCN professional certification, a 9-month (413 hours) program for working professionals in animation, VFX, and game studios, funded through French professional training mechanisms (Contrat de professionnalisation, CPF, Plan de Développement des Compétences, VAE). Distribution is direct via the lahorde.tech website, phone, email, and on-campus events, supplemented by free Bootcamp Gaming events, open-house days, and the annual Winter Game Jam. The school is not listed on Parcoursup, differentiating it from mainstream French higher education channels.

La Horde is structured as a SAS with €50,000 registered capital, operates from a single campus at 353 Boulevard du Président Wilson in Bordeaux's Bassins à Flot tech district adjacent to Ubisoft Bordeaux, and maintains partnerships with AFJV, GitHub Campus, Virtuos, SO Games, Betclic, and other industry players. The management team includes David Jarnage (Director), Florian Duport (Pedagogical Director), David Claverie (Strategic Committee President), and an instructional staff drawn from active practitioners at major studios including Ubisoft Montréal, Asobo Studio, and DONTNOD. The school holds RNCP Level 6 certification and Qualiopi quality certification.

Name

La Horde

Legal name

La Horde SAS

Website

https://lahorde.tech

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Horde is a private Bordeaux-based higher education school founded in 2020 that delivers Bac+3/Bac+5 degrees and the CQP ETCN professional certification across seven video game specializations (programming, art, design, technical art, production, sound, business) using a proprietary Quest Based Learning pedagogy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Video Game Training

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Computer Training (61142), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Game Development (Unity, Unreal, 2D/3D) (EDAMACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coding, Game Design & Computer Science Camps (EDAMALAD)

Keywords

• Video game education
• Game development programs
• Game art training
• Interactive design school
• Professional gaming certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Bachelor Programs: Annual tuition fees for Bachelor years 1-3 at €7,800 per year (2026/2027 academic year). Payment options include one-time payment (€7,300 after deposit), quarterly payments (€2,500 + €2,400 + €2,400), or monthly payments (€1,700 + 7x€800). An initial deposit of €500 is required at enrollment.
2. Tuition Fees - Mastère Programs: Annual tuition fees for Mastère years 4-5 at €8,300 per year (2026/2027 academic year). Payment options include one-time payment (€7,800 after deposit), quarterly payments (3x€2,600), or monthly payments (€1,500 + 7x€900).
3. CQP ETCN Professional Training: Professional certification training for industry professionals seeking skills advancement. Funded through professional contracts (Contrat de professionnalisation), skills development plans (Plan de Développement des Compétences), VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience), and CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation).
4. Internship Integration: Students complete internships throughout the 5-year program: 2 months in years 1-2, 3 months in year 3, 6 months in year 4, and full year (stage + CDD) in year 5. Average of 20 months of internship experience over 5 years.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

La Horde is a French higher education school dedicated to video game training that delivers Bac+1 to Bac+5 programs, including three-year Bachelor tracks (Programmation, Game Art, Game Design, Technical Artist, Producer, Sound Designer, Business & Événementiel), two-year Mastère specializations, and the CQP ETCN professional certification recognized by the French state and the SNJV gaming union. Programs are delivered on its Bordeaux campus to individual students seeking careers in the video game industry.

Product overview

La Horde is a video game development school (École Supérieure des Métiers du Jeu Vidéo) offering a comprehensive educational portfolio centered around its core Bachelor and Mastère programs (Bac+3 & Bac+5). The school provides seven specialized tracks: Bachelor Programmation, Game Art, Game Design, Technical Artist, Producer, Sound Designer, and Business & Événementiel. The institution also offers the CQP ETCN professional certification program for working professionals seeking specialization in technical roles. Supplementary offerings include Bootcamp Gaming events and the annual Winter Game Jam. The school employs a Quest Based Learning pedagogy where students from different specializations and years collaborate throughout the year on projects, culminating in individual quests, group instances, and major raids.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor Programmation A multi-year undergraduate program that trains students in video game programming, delivered on the Bordeaux campus as part of La Horde's Bachelor curriculum for individuals pursuing technical roles in the gaming industry.
• Bachelor Game Art An undergraduate program training students in artistic disciplines for video games, delivered over three years on the Bordeaux campus for individuals pursuing art roles in the gaming industry.
• Bachelor Game Design An undergraduate program training students in the design of video game systems, mechanics, and player experience, delivered on the Bordeaux campus to individuals targeting game designer roles.
• Bachelor Technical Artist An undergraduate program training students to bridge art and engineering in video game pipelines, delivered on the Bordeaux campus to individuals targeting technical artist roles.
• Bachelor Producer An undergraduate program training students in video game production, project management, and team coordination, delivered on the Bordeaux campus to individuals targeting producer roles in game studios.
• Bachelor Sound Designer An undergraduate program training students in audio creation and integration for video games, delivered on the Bordeaux campus to individuals targeting sound designer roles.
• Bachelor Business & Événementiel An undergraduate program training students in business and event-management dimensions of the gaming industry, delivered on the Bordeaux campus to individuals pursuing commercial or event roles inside gaming companies.
• Mastère (Years 4–5) A two-year Master's-level program for graduates of the Bachelor cycle who want to specialize further and earn a Title RNCP niveau 6, delivered on the Bordeaux campus.
• CQP ETCN A professional certification for video game industry roles, issued through the SNJV (Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo), offered to La Horde students as an industry-recognized credential.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% job placement rate for hyperspecialized graduates in video game development
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UbisoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor video game studio partnership. Ubisoft Bordeaux is located in the same Bassins à Flot tech district as La Horde, facilitating industry collaboration and potential internship/job pathways for students.
• AFJV (Agence Française pour le Jeu Vidéo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the French Video Game Agency, providing industry data, job market insights, and professional network access for students.
• GitHubcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial GitHub Campus Program partner, providing students access to development tools, version control platforms, and coding resources essential for game development education.
• VirtuosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with international video game and digital production company, providing industry expertise and potential career pathways for graduates.
• SO GamesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with game development studio offering industry collaboration opportunities for students.
• Pierre Feuille StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with independent game studio providing industry insights and potential collaboration opportunities.
• Ratel StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with game development studio. Williams Fortage from Ratel Studio serves as instructor at La Horde.
• Horizons VideoGame ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with video game industry forum providing networking and professional development opportunities.
• ProgramistocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with tech company. Gauthier Depierre serves as VP Marketing at Programisto while managing communication at La Horde. Noé Duclos from Programisto teaches Algorithmics and C/C++ programming.
• French TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with French Tech ecosystem supporting tech startups and innovation in France.
• BetclicmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with online gaming company. La Horde organized Innovation Days 2022 with Betclic Group hosting an AI tournament for developers.
• CPNEF de l'audiovisuelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertification issuing body for CQP ETCN professional qualification. The certification is certified by CPNEF de l'audiovisuel and registered as RNCP 39758 (Level 6) with expiry date 31/10/2029.
• France CompétencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational certification authority that validates and registers professional qualifications in France, including the CQP ETCN (RNCP 39758).
• Don't NodmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Paris-based game studio. Thomas Garcia teaches 3D, environment & character design, VFX at La Horde while working at Don't Nod.
• Brain Up StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with game studio. Maxime Maurin teaches C++/C# programming at La Horde while working at Brain Up Studio.
• BrumisphèreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with company. Stanislas Besse teaches Design at La Horde while working at Brumisphère.
• Giant SentinelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with company. Cindy Tonon teaches Project Management at La Horde while working at Giant Sentinel.
• FraîcheminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with company. Gauthier Depierre teaches Digital Presence & Social Networks at La Horde while working as VP Marketing at Fraîche.
• École de TuringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with coding school. Insaf Ayad, Deputy Director of École de Turing, teaches at La Horde.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Supinfogame Rubika: Top-tier French game design school in Valenciennes/Lille, part of the Rubika ecosystem (now including Supinfogame and Supinfocom). Offers Bachelor and Master's programs in game design, programming, and project management, directly mirroring La Horde's portfolio with stronger brand recognition and a larger alumni network.
• ArtFX: Montpellier-based private school specializing in visual effects, 3D animation, and video games. Offers Mastère-level programs that compete with La Horde's Bac+5 tracks, particularly for game art and technical artist specializations.
• ICAN (Institut de Création et d'Animation Numériques): Paris-based private school offering game design, game art, and 3D animation programs. Operates RNCP-certified curricula from Bac to Bac+5, directly competing with La Horde's Bachelor and Mastère programs for French students pursuing game industry careers.
• Gaming Campus: Paris-based private school group specializing in video game, 3D animation, and digital creative education. Offers Bachelor (Game Designer, Game Programmer, Game Artist) and Master's tracks that overlap directly with La Horde's seven specialization areas.
• Bellecour École: Lyon-based private school with programs in game design, 3D animation, illustration, and digital arts. Competes with La Horde for French Bac+3/Bac+5 game art and design students, with a similar private-school positioning and specialization focus.
• Cifap: Paris-based private school offering Bac+2 to Bac+5 programs in game design, programming, 3D animation, and audiovisual production. RNCP-certified programs in similar specialization areas, with longer operating history than La Horde.
• ESMA (École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques): French private school with campuses in Montpellier, Paris, Lyon, and other cities, offering programs in 3D animation, video games, and special effects. The game specialization track directly parallels La Horde's programming and game art tracks with broader geographic reach.
• ENJMIN (École Nationale du Jeu et des Médias Interactifs Numériques): French public graduate school dedicated to video game and interactive media education, based in Angoulême. Most prestigious public game dev school in France; competes for the same Bac+3/Bac+5 student pool La Horde targets but offers state-backed tuition and degree recognition.

Broad incumbents

• ESGI (École Supérieure de Gestion et d'Informatique): Larger French private school offering general computer science, programming, and IT management programs across multiple campuses. Overlaps with La Horde on the programming track and competes for generalist students who might otherwise choose a specialized game school.
• École de Turing: French coding school with broader computer science and software engineering focus. While not exclusively game-focused, the partnership between La Horde and École de Turing (with mutual instructors) signals overlap in technical curriculum and student pool for programming-oriented students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LaHordeTech
• Facebookfacebook.com/LaHordeTech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-horde-tech

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Horde