French video game publisher and developer Ubisoft has announced plans to expand its operations to the Saquenay region of Quebec, resulting in the creation of as many as 1,000 new jobs over the course of the next 10 years.
The video game giant — which already employs approximately 3,600 people across Montreal and Quebec City — confirmed the news on Tuesday morning, stating that it believes that this expansion is the “most important growth plan” in the province in the last 20 years.
Ubisoft is expected invest approximately $780 million CAD in Quebec over the course of the next decade, including $135 million in Saguenay. The developer also has plans to eventually open an additional video game development studio in the province at some point in the future, though the company has not revealed the specific plans for this expansion yet.
“We are proud to have contributed to the emergence of Quebec as one of the leading international video game production centres,” said Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot at a press conference in Chicoutimi, Quebec.
Guillemot says that his studio has already invested more than $3.5 billion in the province in the past 20 years.
It’s important to point out that the Quebec government offers a tax credit that can cover up to 37.5 percent of labour costs for job creation in the video game industry.
Specifically, 125 new positions will open in Saguenay over the next five years, with 200 jobs being planned for Quebec City and 675 for Montreal.
“We are entrusting Ubisoft Saguenay with a mandate that is resolutely focused on the future. The development of connected experiences that allow millions of players to meet and interact on online game platforms is a leading growth and innovation driver not only for Ubisoft, but for the entire video game industry as a whole,” said Yanis Mallat, the new managing director of Ubisoft Saguenay, in a statement to MobileSyrup.
Ubisoft’s Quebec-based studios have worked on the critically acclaimed Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed series. The developer also has Canadian studios in Toronto, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Since 2015, Ubisoft has been fighting a hostile take over by French media conglomerate Vivendi.
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