Amazon Games has announced that it will be expanding into Canada with the opening of a studio in Montreal, Quebec. The Amazon branch has revealed that the studio will be working on an undisclosed new IP. The project, which in early development, is said to be an “online multiplayer title”.
The Montreal studio is led by industry vets including Luc Bouchard, who’s joined Amazon as head of production. Alexandre Remy has also been tapped and is head of product, with Romain Rimokh as the content director. Additionally, Xavier Marquis will be the creative director of the studio’s first title. The group of vets have all notably worked on Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege, which has supported 70 million players since its launch.
“Building upon 8 years of experience with Siege, we are excited to start with a blank page and the creative freedom to create a completely unique experience in the multiplayer space,” said Xavier Marquis “From our first discussion, we felt a true connection with the people at Amazon Games, their approach to gaming and the sheer amount of knowledge, expertise and technology available there. It is quite humbling and we couldn’t be more excited to start a studio with them.”
Amazon Games has already integrated itself into numerous cities located around the US, including Seattle, Orange County, and San Diego. The Montreal studio will be Amazon Games’ first push into the Canadian development scene. It’s said that Amazon will leverage the studio in an effort in the company’s commitment to “developing games that offer bold new play experiences”.
“Montreal’s rich vein of creative talent will be a valuable asset as we continue building our development and publishing teams,” said Christoph Hartmann, VP, Amazon Games. “The highly skilled and experienced team at our new Montreal studio shares our commitment to creating best-in-class online games, and brings with them a wealth of knowledge and passion for building deep, community-focused multiplayer experiences. I look forward to watching them invent on behalf of customers as they grow their team and develop their first project.”
Currently, Amazon Games is actively developing its open-world MMO New Worlds, which is set to release in Aug. 2021 following several delays. Amazon Games has noted that other projects are said to be in the works but remain unannounced. The Montreal-based studio is actively hiring personnel to assist in the development of this new venture, including developers and artists.
Amazon has also been readying its very own game streaming platform, Luna. Currently, Amazon has opened the service up via early access with an invitation within the US. There is currently no word on when Luna will be available in Canada.