Square Enix Opening Second Montreal Studio For New Hitman, Creating 250 Jobs

Tokyo-based Square Enix today revealed plans for further expansion in Montreal, Canada, with new jobs at its Deus Ex: Human Revolution house Eidos Montreal, and the creation of a new second studio. The new studio, called Square Enix Montreal, will open sometime next year and create a total of 150 new jobs. The studio is set to work on a new, unannounced game in the Hitman franchise. Danish developer IO Interactive is currently also working on a Hitman title, called Hitman Absolution, which is due for release next year. Lee Singleton, currently general manager of Square Enix London Studios and industry veteran of over 20 years, is set to lead the new Montreal studio. Square Enix is looking to create another 100 new jobs at its Eidos-Montreal studio as well. It revealed that the studio is working on an unannounced third game, alongside the next installments in the Deus Ex and Thief franchises. Yoichi Wada, president and chief executive officer at Square Enix, explained, "Montreal is a vibrant centre of game creators with industry-leading talent, and one of the most important bases of our global network of game development within the Square Enix Group." Phil Rogers, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Europe, added, "We believe in creating studios where passion for our games and gaming runs throughout and Eidos-Montreal is testament to this vision." "The start up of a second studio brings a huge advantage to our business; we will nurture two separate studios with their own strengths, culture and appeal." The company had previously hinted that it was looking to open a second studio in Canada back in March, as it said it was looking to make use of the Canadian tax credits. An interview regarding specifics of the expansion plans is available now on Gamasutra.