Tencent closes TiMi Montreal studio after five years

• TiMi Montreal had recruited senior western talent, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla creative director Ashraf Ismail.
• Closure signals continued pullback from Chinese publishers in North America.
• Rising triple-A costs and long production cycles weigh on overseas expansion.

Tencent has closed its TiMi Montreal studio less than five years after its founding, without releasing a single game.

As reported by Game File, news of the shutdown surfaced after a programmer at TiMi Montreal posted on LinkedIn that the studio had officially closed, though the post is no longer publicly accessible.

The employee wrote that staff had known the decision was coming “for some time,” adding they were “genuinely heartbroken that the public will never get to experience what this team was capable of producing.” 

Strategic moves 

Initially announced in July 2021, TiMi Montreal was established as part of TiMi Studio Group’s North American expansion, with a 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 pullback by Chinese publishers in North America. Over the past 18 months, reports indicate companies including NetEase have scaled back western studio investments amid rising production costs, long development cycles and shifting market priorities.