Ubisoft announced plans for a new move in the company’s Canadian expansion: Ubisoft Winnipeg, a new office for the video game titan. They will join a network of around 4,500 Canadian Ubisoft team members.
Announcing the news were Yannis Mallat, CEO of the Ubisoft Canadian Studios, and Darryl Long, Managing Director of Ubisoft Winnipeg. They were join by highly respected Canadian political figures and local Winnipeg government officials.
According to Blaine Pedersen, Minister of Growth, Enterprise, and Trade in Canada:
“We are pleased to welcome Ubisoft to Manitoba and look forward to working together to grow our tech talent pool and unleash the true economic potential our province holds. This private capital investment in Manitoba will create new jobs and opportunities for Manitoba students and graduates in the interactive digital media, information and communications technology fields.”
UBISOFT WINNIPEG
Ubisoft plans to invest the massive amount of $35 million (CAD) in the Province of Manitoba. This will help create 100 new jobs in at the studio over the following five years. Ubisoft Winnipeg will play a strategic role as one of the AAA co-development studios. Their main role is to develop new tools and technology for the company that will lead to the creation of better, more engaging game worlds for players.
Mallat stated that:
“The mandate for the Ubisoft Winnipeg studio is important and will directly support many of our most successful, world-renowned brands, such as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Watch_Dogs – all games that are based on an open-world and systemic gameplay approach. The creation of these massive digital worlds is increasingly complex, and it’s critical that our development teams have access to the best tech and tools to continue to develop the most innovative games in our fast paced, highly competitive market.”
A NEW STUDIO TO SUPPORT A THRIVING LOCAL ECOSYSTEM
In order to fully reach their goal, Ubisoft Winnipeg will attract, grow, and develop outstanding individuals in the area. Ubisoft Winnipeg will hire Engineers, Tool Programmers, Technical Artists, and other professionals in the same field in order to fully achieve their mandate.
Darry Long said:
“With its thriving local techno-creative industry, and innovative university and college programs that combine creative arts, IT and computer science, Winnipeg is truly a hidden gem for talent in the video game industry. Knowing the city and the people behind all the initiatives driving economic growth through creativity and innovation, I am extremely excited about what we will achieve with this new studio.”
The announcement of the brand new studio makes the wait for E3 2018 even more agonizing. Ubisoft is sure to announce some great upcoming titles that will be supported by the Ubisoft Winnipeg offices.