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In context: It is somewhat hard to believe that Amazon Games has been around since 2012. What makes it so shocking is that it has not published anything except a failed then canceled 6v6 shooter. Eight years seems like more than enough time to release at least one mediocre game, especially for a company holding three studios. Maybe one more will be the magic number.
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.”
Amazon Games has not had much luck releasing original content. In 2016, it announced three games were in development—Breakaway, Crucible, and New World. Breakaway was given the ax in 2018 before ever reaching release. Free-to-play Crucible launched last May to terrible reviews and a cold reception, causing Amazon to pull it back into a closed beta. It subsequently canceled the game in October. Open-world MMO New World has suffered numerous delays but remains scheduled to release sometime this year.
Amazon Games hopes that with veteran developers at the new studio’s helm, its luck will take a turn for the better.
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