Amazon Games has announced they’ve opened a new game development studio in Montreal, Canada – and they’re working on a new online multiplayer IP.

The new studio will focus on AAA game development, with their first title being the aforementioned online multiplayer game, which is based on a new intellectual property.
“Montreal’s rich vein of creative talent will be a valuable asset as we continue building our development and publishing teams,” said Christoph Hartmann, VP, Amazon Games. “The highly skilled and experienced team at our new Montreal studio shares our commitment to creating best-in-class online games, and brings with them a wealth of knowledge and passion for building deep, community-focused multiplayer experiences. I look forward to watching them invent on behalf of customers as they grow their team and develop their first project.”

The studio’s founding members include industry veterans Luc Bouchard (head of production), Xavier Marquis (creative director), Alexandre Remy (head of product), and Romain Rimokh (content director), who most recently worked as the core team behind the tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege, which now has more than 70 million players since its launch. The studio’s first project will be an online multiplayer title based on new IP.

“Building upon 8 years of experience with Siege, we are excited to start with a blank page and the creative freedom to create a completely unique experience in the multiplayer space,” said Xavier Marquis, Creative Director.

He added, “From our first discussion, we felt a true connection with the people at Amazon Games, their approach to gaming and the sheer amount of knowledge, expertise and technology available there. It is quite humbling and we couldn’t be more excited to start a studio with them.”

Amazon Games Montreal is naturally hiring to round out their new team – you can find more info over on their jobs website.

The opening of a new studio is curious, especially considering their first game is a multiplayer-focused IP – considering Amazon’s free-to-play shooter Crucible performed quite awfully and had to be shuttered months after its debut. Their other online-focused game, the MMO New World, has been repeatedly delayed since its original target release.