Making games has proven to be a difficult challenge for Amazon. It has canned some projects and delayed others. But the company is seemingly in this for the long haul it’s opening a fourth development studio.
On Tuesday, Amazon announced the opening of a fourth game studio. The new development house in Montreal, Canada, joins already active studios in Seattle, Orange County, and San Diego under the Amazon Games (formerly Amazon Game Studios) umbrella. The developer is now hiring, but a veteran staff has already joined the ranks to lead the team.
The studio’s founding members include the core team involved with Rainbow Six Siege. Former technical lead at Ubisoft Luc Bouchard is the new head of production. Amazon poached Siege’s Art Director Xavier Marquis for the role of creative director. Alexandre Remy, who was brand and esports director for rainbow six, is Amazon Games Montreal’s product head. Cinematics & Scripted Events Director Romain Rimokh will be the studio’s content director. Amazon says the team’s first project will be an unnamed “online multiplayer title based on new IP.”
“Montreal’s rich vein of creative talent will be a valuable asset as we continue building our development and publishing teams,” said Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann. “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 first project is an original online multiplayer game. Amazon hasn’t revealed many details, but Marquis said in a statement the team has “the creative freedom to create a completely unique experience in the multiplayer space.”
The Montreal outlet joins other studios in Seattle, Orange County and San Diego. Amazon Games has several titles in the pipeline, including New World, which is scheduled to come out in August, and a Lord of the Rings MMO.
