The French-Canadian province of Quebec has been a hotbed for game development over many years, largely thanks to the helpful local government who has incentivized investments with tax reductions. Ubisoft has a large studio in Montreal and a smaller one in Quebec City, and now a third studio in the province, about 100 km north of Quebec City, in the town of Saguenay is being set up. The plan is to open the studio in 2018 and the goal is to grow it to 125 people within five years. In fact, Ubisoft has committed to growing their investment in the Quebec region by 1000 people until 2027, including the 125 jobs in Saguenay, as well as 200 new jobs in Quebec City, and 675 new jobs to the already massive studio in Montreal. There are also plans for a studio in a fourth city in Quebec.
The Saguenay studio will focus their attention on "online services and technologies", and it does sound like the studio, at least, to begin with, will have a support role in the huge eco-system of game development under the Ubisoft umbrella.
The CEO of Ubisoft's studios in Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City, Yannis Mallat had this to say via press release.
"We are entrusting Ubisoft Saguenay with a mandate that is resolutely focused on the future. The development of connected experiences that allow millions of players to meet and interact on online game platforms is a leading growth and innovation driver not only for Ubisoft, but for the entire videogame industry as a whole," said Mallat.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot added:
"We are proud to have contributed to the emergence of Quebec as a world-renowned hub for videogame development. Over 20 years, Ubisoft has created more than 3,600 jobs, invested more than $3.5 billion and developed some of the greatest brands in the industry here in Quebec. Today, videogames are the most dynamic segment of the entertainment industry, and are at the heart of technological revolution. As a result, we have a unique opportunity to build tomorrow's Quebec, together."