Comics / Comics News

Ubisoft is coming to Toronto

By Eli Green
July 6, 2009 - 15:45

Ubisoft announced its plans today to open a full fledged development studio in Toronto, Ontario – a big step for the company, as it is its first foray into the dealing with the province. Ubisoft expects the creation of this new studio to create approximately 800 new jobs within the province, over the next decade. The government of Ontario is also pitching in by investing $263 million CAD over 10 years in the company. Ubisoft's net investment though, will be a over half a billion dollars Canadian.

According to the announcement, the new studio, Ubisoft Toronto, will focus on the development of Triple-A titles and “will emulate the proven business model and creative excellence for which Ubisoft is known”. Ubisoft Toronto will also bring a new taste to the global Ubisoft brand, which should benefit from the relatively untapped reservoir of talent, trained in video game design and production, that exists in the province of Ontario. Its creation should also be a boon for a large portion of that local talent that, for whatever reason, logical or not, is afraid of making the six hour journey (by car) to apply for a job at the company's other, relatively, nearby studio; you know who you are.

"Today’s announcement marks a strategic move for Ubisoft as we continue to expand our internal development force,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “We are in an excellent position to grow and after extensive analysis we are thrilled to have reached an agreement with the government of Ontario to found our new studio in Toronto. The city is one of North America’s economic and cultural epicenters and our expectations are high. We’re excited to be able to count on the exceptional local talent, who will contribute to our accelerated growth and will have a profound impact on the video game industry with the excellence of their creativity.”

As noted, Ubisoft Toronto will bring its own flavour to Ubisoft as a whole, and that is because Ubisoft plans to use the studio to expand on Toronto's existing experience with the film industry, making it a large part of the company's convergence strategy. The studio won't just collaborate with local film industry veterans to enhance the production of its video games, but it will also contribute to Ubisoft's overall plan of extending its brands to other complementary platforms and mediums, including books, comic books, short films and “other products” (action figures perhaps?).

Heading up Ubisoft Toronto will be Ubisoft Montreal's current CEO, Yannis Mallat. Mallat was chosen because his “proven leadership and vision will be a major asset to the growth and success of the new studio”. Regarding the announcement and his upcoming move, Mallat said, “We are incredibly excited to finally tap into the remarkable talent Ontario has been developing over the years. Toronto’s unique pool of experience video game industry and film industry talent will allow us to develop a team with exceptional ability to help us realize our goals for creating brands with universal appeal that extend beyond the world of video games.”

Yannis Mallat - Current CEO of Ubisoft Montreal

As previously mentioned, today's announcement was made possible with the support of the government of Ontario. This is apparently part of the provincial government's plan to stimulate the economy, as it is placing a large investment in an organization that create local jobs and provide a much needed, long term boost for the provincial economy. Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty was at the Ubisoft press conference in Toronto today to help announce the plans and speak about the provincial government's support. “Our world is one where you can borrow capital, you can copy technology and you can buy natural resources,” he said. “But to build a high wage and a high standard of living you need talent. By investing in Ubisoft, we’re building Ontario’s economy now and for the future.” It's a move that has been long overdue.

One last important note. Ubisoft is looking for local talent to be a part of Ubisoft Toronto. If you think you've got what it takes, send an email to work(dot)in(dot)TO(at)ubisoft.com.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12