miHoYo, the Chinese studio behind the global success Genshin Impact, has chosen Montreal as the first branch in North America.
The new office, which is currently being set up on Boulevard Robert-Bourassa, will officially open its doors next January. Within two years, it will have around 100 employees. He will devote himself to “the creation of a brand new open-world AAA action and adventure game,” specifies the organization Montréal International, which supported the studio for this expansion.
The Quebec metropolis has become “a hub” so essential that it is now the large studios that are taking the first steps to settle there, rejoices Stéphane Paquet, CEO of Montreal International.
“I consider that we are in the top 5 in the world, which makes us a magnet,” explains Mr. Paquet in an interview. We get a phone call, we take them by the hand, literally. When it’s your first steps in North America, you need someone to explain everything it takes to settle down. “
He believes that it is the Montreal talent pool, more than the tax incentives, that makes the city attractive.
19e studio
It was not possible to get an interview with a miHoYo manager. By press release, the co-founder of the studio Forrest Liu believes that he has chosen a city “where there is a rich community of game developers as well as universities recognized throughout the world”.
“We place great value on the expertise and creativity of the local ecosystem which we believe will inspire miHoYo in its game creation process,” he adds.
Founded in 2012 by three Shanghai students, miHoYo is relatively a small player in the Chinese ecosystem, with 2,400 employees across 18 studios – Montreal is the 19the. It already has six mobile games in its catalog. Their graphics are very inspired by Japanese manga and fantasy. Generally well received, these games were struggling to get out of the Chinese market. It was not at all the case with Genshin Impact, released in September 2020 and which today has some 53.6 million monthly players, according to the Dexerto site.
This free-to-download action-adventure game with in-app purchases is considered one of the most popular mobile games of all time, with estimated revenues of US $ 245 million from its first month of launch. Often compared to the Nintendo classic The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it allows the player to choose from four main characters who explore, fight, fly through the air and collect treasure. Since September 2020, versions of Genshin Impact have been launched for the PlayStation and PC, and one can play online in co-op mode, regardless of platforms, with up to three other people.
Little information has filtered out on the concept of the new game that will be concocted in Montreal. The Montreal International press release specifies at most that it will be “a shooting game in a living paranormal universe” which will be published on “console, PC and mobile platforms”.