Garena-owned Phoenix Labs has expanded with new studios in Montreal and Los Angeles.

Alongside the new Canada and US-based studios, Phoenix Labs has welcomed new teams to its Vancouver and San Mateo arms too.

This year, the Canadian company has increased its headcount by more than 50 staff members, as it expects to hit 250 developers by the end of next year.

In Montreal, Quebec, the team will be led by André Roy, who has a strong games background, including time spent with Ubisoft. He is joined by talent and culture initiatives lead Marie-Andrée Lavoie and the studio's head of technology Guillaume Roy.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the studio will be led by product Director Omar Kendall, who has previously worked for Riot Games. Moreover, Phoenix Labs' Jing Wang will serve as the LA arms general manager.

Empowered growth

"At Phoenix Labs, we believe people are the ends, not the means. We aspire to bring joy and delight to players for years to come by providing developers with a long-term home to create the world's most compelling gaming experiences," said Phoenix Labs CEO and co-founder Jesse Houston.

"We believe in empowering our people with high autonomy so they can make broad impacts to their games and the studio. Montreal and Los Angeles are home to vibrant gaming communities that include some of the best talent in the industry, and we're excited to have them contribute to our mosaic culture.

"We find inspiration in tackling hard problems that no one else is solving; it's what motivates everyone on the team to show up each day and do their best work. This ethos isn't just a corporate value, it's a virtue."

Back in January, Free Fire creator Garena acquired Phoenix Studios for around $150 million.