Canadian developer Behaviour Interactive announced they’ve acquired British developer SockMonkey Studios.

SockMonkey is Behaviour’s very first European acquisition and investment and will be renamed Behaviour UK – North once the acquisition is finalized. The developer will continue operating as a support studio for various clients like Microsoft, Sony, Electronic Arts, and more.

“We’re delighted to add SockMonkey’s award-winning team to our industry-leading Services division,” stated Rémi Racine, Behaviour’s CEO and Executive Producer. “Like Seattle’s Midwinter Entertainment, which we acquired last year, SockMonkey is founded upon strong core values of innovation and collaboration. These values mirror our own and make SockMonkey a natural fit for our ambitious growth strategy.”

SockMonkey CEO and co-founder Bob Makin added, “We’re thrilled to celebrate our tenth anniversary year by joining Behaviour’s growing group of studios. Behaviour is rapidly emerging as a global player within the gaming industry, and we are proud to represent the first step in their European expansion. We look forward to leveraging their resources to grow Behaviour UK – North, provide further career opportunities for the UK’s exceptional talent, and establish the Teesside area as a hotbed for game development.”

SockMonkey was started back in 2013 in Middlesbrough, and now employs 45 staff that are dedicated to both full development and co-development projects.