The Gamers Nation: Square Enix to Greatly Expand Its Montréal-Based Studios

Tuesday, 30 April 2019

Square Enix to Greatly Expand Its Montréal-Based Studios

Currently, Square Enix’s workforce in Canada totals around 700 employees. As such, the country houses Square Enix’s most massive workforce outside of Japan. Interestingly, the publisher intends to expand its Canadian personnel even further by adding more than 100 new positions. These jobs will be filled at Eidos-Montréal, the studio behind the Deus Ex prequels, and Square Enix Montréal, the team better known for developing games in Square Enix’s mobile GO series.

The publisher announced news of its Canadian expansion in a recent press release, also revealing the expansion of the Eidos-Montréal offices. Eidos-Montréal’s 55,000 square feet facility will grow by an additional 10,000 square feet. Square Enix aims to supply the studio with a host of new technologies, too. The new tech includes studios for full performance motion capture and photogrammetry, a mixing and voice recording studio, and a user research laboratory. Square Enix Montréal is set to receive its fair share of renovations, as well. According to Square Enix’s press release, the studio’s size will more than double as 2019 continues on. For now, specifics of just what the expansion entails remain under wraps.

Following the release of 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Eidos-Montréal has had a team busy with post-launch content. In addition, the studio’s been working in conjunction with Crystal Dynamics on Square Enix’s mysterious Avengers Project. What else, if anything, the Eidos-Montréal may have up its sleeve is unknown. Many continue to hold out hope for a third entry in the studio’s Deus Ex series, whose second installment, 2016’s Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, left several narrative threads on a cliff hanger.

Unfortunately, details about projects in development at Square Enix Montréal are far more scarce. Its last title, Deus Ex GO launched in 2016 on mobile devices and PC only. At the very least, the studio no longer has future plans with the GO franchise. Apparently, this decision came down to sales of the series. Despite critical acclaim, the GO titles never soared to popularity.