- TiMi Montreal had recruited senior Western talent, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla creative director Ashraf Ismail.
- The shutdown signals a continued retreat from Chinese publishers in North America.
- Rising triple-A costs and longer production cycles are impacting overseas expansion.
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Tencent has closed its TiMi Montreal studio, without releasing a single game in less than five years since its founding.
As reported game fileNews of the shutdown came to light when a programmer from TiMi Montreal posted on LinkedIn that the studio had officially closed, although the post is no longer publicly available.
The employee wrote that the staff had known this decision was coming “for some time”, adding that they were “really heartbroken that the public would never get to experience what this team was able to produce.”
strategic moves
Initially announced in July 2021, TiMi Montreal was founded as part of the North American expansion of TiMi Studio Group, with the mandate to develop triple-A open-world multi-platform titles.
The studio joined existing branches in Los Angeles and Seattle and recruited experienced talent from major publishers, including former Assassin’s Creed Valhalla creative director Ashraf Ismail.
The closure reflects a broader response from Chinese publishers in North America. Over the past 18 months, reports indicate that companies including NetEase have reduced Western studio investment amid rising production costs, longer development cycles, and changing market priorities.