The interesting aspect of this deal is that two of the leaders of Amazon Games Montreal are former Ubisoft employees: Alex Parizeau, former head of Ubisoft Toronto, and Xavier Marquis, former creative director of Rainbow Six Siege. This acquisition therefore marks a "homecoming" for both of them.
Ubisoft has several studios in Canada, but its two main studios, Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto, are responsible for popular franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, Rainbow Six, and Splinter Cell. It's therefore not surprising that these former Canadian employees left to start their own studios in Canada (and were subsequently acquired in this case).
Amazon Games itself recently underwent a restructuring after a major layoff and the closure of its studio that developed New World. Amazon Games Montreal was fortunate to be acquired by Ubisoft, avoiding the closure of its peers.
Following the acquisition, the game March of Giants, currently in closed alpha, will continue development, with the publisher changing from Amazon Games to Ubisoft. This aligns with Ubisoft's goal of developing more live-service games.
Meanwhile, the Amazon Games Montreal studio, whose new name is yet to be determined, will be part of a new studio structure divided into several Creative Houses, the first of which has already been launched: Vantage Studios.
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