The Gearbox Entertainment Company, creators of the commercially and critically successful Borderlands franchise, today announced a CAD $200 million investment into Québec for the creation of Gearbox Studio Montréal. This will be Gearbox’s second major expansion in the last six years, adding 250 tech-sector jobs to Montréal and bringing its company-wide workforce to more than 850. Industry veterans Sébastien Caisse, Ph.D and Pierre-André Déry will be tapped to co-lead the newly formed studio.
“The Gearbox Entertainment Company is ambitiously looking both internationally and domestically to grow our creative engine and meet the incredible demand our customers have for talent-crafted experiences with our intellectual property,” said Randy Pitchford, founder of the Gearbox Entertainment Company. “Following our successful experience establishing Gearbox Studio Quebec, our investment in a new studio in Montreal creates an exciting new prospect for Montreal-based talent – whether they wish to work on existing Gearbox franchises, or help with the creation of new, original ideas. With Sébastien and Pierre-André’s leadership, I know the incredible local game development community will welcome Gearbox Studio Montreal and its balance between major studio muscle and local team culture as a needed addition to the city.”
Headquartered in Texas for more than 20 years, Gearbox Entertainment has earned the reputation of being one of the world’s leading video game developers. Following the 2015 expansion and creation of Gearbox Studio Québec in Québec City, the company looks to replicate the same roaring success in Montréal, where new talent will be working on developing groundbreaking entertainment. Montréal International and Investissement Québec are supporting Gearbox Entertainment in its local expansion.
“Montréal has become a must-stop destination in the video game industry. With world-renowned productions created in local studios, highly skilled talent is drawn to the city where careers advance rapidly. Gearbox will contribute to the growth of this dynamic ecosystem and help Montréal shine even more brightly on the international scene,” said Stéphane Paquet, president and CEO, Montréal International.
“We’ve had resounding success with our first studio expansion in Québec, allowing Gearbox to grow its creative engine along with the ambition of its games,” said Caisse. “The games we want to make drive our growth, and some great talent resides in Montréal. I’m excited and humbled to co-lead the development of our latest studio expansion.”
Expanding the culture established in Frisco and Québec City, the team at Gearbox Studio Montréal will be a diverse and passionate group working to bring entertainment and joy to the world. Déry will continue to lead recruitment for Gearbox in the province, tapping into the incredible local talent of video game developers.
“Building on Gearbox’s long history of creative freedom, we are excited to assemble a new development team to work on the Borderlands franchise and create new IP in Montréal,” continued Déry.
Like all Gearbox team members, the talent in the new Montréal studio will experience a commitment to anti-crunch culture, competitive benefits, and a substantial employer RRSP contribution. To learn more about Gearbox Studio Montréal, go to: http://gearboxstudiomontreal.com/.
For assets related to this announcement, please visit our download link.
About Gearbox Entertainment:
Gearbox Entertainment Company is a Frisco, Texas-based award-winning, developer and publisher of interactive entertainment. It was founded in 1999 by game industry veterans, and its first release was Half-Life: Opposing Force. Since then, the company has become known for successful game franchises including Borderlands, and Brothers in Arms, as well as acquired properties Duke Nukem and Homeworld. The Gearbox Entertainment Company is a proud member of the Embracer Group AB family of companies, which is publicly traded at Nasdaq First North (EMBRAC B). For more information, visit www.gearbox.com.
