The Top 30 Canada Game Makers of 2026

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Smash Party: Cannon Shoot
• Car Evolve
• Shoot Die Repeat
• Jelly Blast: Flow Puzzle
• Real War: Not Fake

Richmond Hill, Ontario-based Heseri Games is a mobile game developer focused on casual and hybrid-casual titles. Its games include Car Evolve, Real War: Not Fake and Shoot Die Repeat, which combine simple controls with upgrade systems, action and repeatable challenges.

Action game Real War: Not Fake launched in October 2025. Car Evolve, in which players upgrade cars and travel further with each run, came a month later. May 2026 saw Shoot Die Repeat, a shooter built around quick battles and repeated attempts.

Heseri reports more than 100m installs across its wider network of mobile games. Its mobile portfolio has also been estimated to have generated over $2m in lifetime revenue. The studio continues to release new mobile games, with its catalogue spanning racing, shooting, action and puzzle titles.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Crime Boss Tycoon
• Cheech & Chong Bud Farm
• Bud Farm Munchie Match
• Bud Farm Grass Roots

Based in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, LDRLY Games is a mobile developer known for its Bud Farm franchise, which puts players in charge of growing and running cannabis outfits. Founded in 2018, the studio makes original and licensed games for iOS and Android, often built around humour, familiar characters and idle management gameplay.

Its catalogue includes Bud Farm: Idle Tycoon, Bud Farm: Grass Roots, Bud Farm 420 and Cheech & Chong Bud Farm, which brings the comedy duo into a mobile game. LDRLY has also worked with rapper B-Real of Cypress Hill on B-Real Monster Buds, and developed the match-three game Bud Farm Munchie Match.

The studio says its Bud Farm franchise has connected with nearly 40m people around the world. LDRLY operates as part of East Side Games Group, which develops and publishes mobile games and provides technology to help other teams build them.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

East Side Games

SOFTOGRAPHY

• AdVenture Capitalist
• AdVenture Ages
• AdVenture Communist
• Dungeon Dwarves

Founded in 2012 and based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Hyper Hippo is a mobile game developer best known for its AdVenture series. Its breakthrough hit, AdVenture Capitalist, launched in 2015 and helped popularise idle games, where players earn money and grow their businesses.

Together with its 2018 and 2022 sequels, the series has reached more than 80m players worldwide. Hyper Hippo has also worked with Netflix Games on Dungeon Dwarves and released Vacation Tycoon, a game about holiday resorts management.

The studio continues to support its older games with new content and events. In 2025, it added Vacay Island to AdVenture Capitalist, its first new destination in years, drawing inspiration from Vacation Tycoon. Hyper Hippo has received funding through the Canada Media Fund and Creative BC to support its growth and development of original games, too.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Cuphead

Founded by brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, Studio MDHR is an independent Canadian developer best known for Cuphead, a run-and-gun game inspired by 1930s cartoons. Released in 2017, the game stood out for its hand-drawn animation, watercolour backgrounds and jazz soundtrack. It sold 1 million copies within two weeks of launch and later reached every major console platform.

In 2022, the studio released The Delicious Last Course, an expansion that added new bosses, locations and the character Ms Chalice. That sold more than 1m copies in its first week.

In June 2026, Studio MDHR announced two new projects. The first is a new hand-animated Cuphead game, which remains in early development. The second, Mighty Cuphead Adventure, is an 8-bit action platformer built using 1980s Sega Master System technology. It will also be available on modern consoles and PC, as well as on a physical cartridge for the original console.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Thousand Hells
• Ostranauts
• Caves of Qud
• Streets of Fortuna

Montreal-based Kitfox Games is an independent developer/publisher founded in 2013 by Tanya X Short and a team of fellow developers. The studio makes games built around player choices, with titles like Moon Hunters, The Shrouded Isle and Boyfriend Dungeon.

Kitfox has also built a name as a publisher for other indie developers. Its catalogue includes Dwarf Fortress, the long-running world sim from Bay 12 Games, and Caves of Qud, a fantasy RPG from Freehold Games.

In 2026, Kitfox published the full release of Ostranauts, a space sim developed by Blue Bottle Games, and continued work on its own upcoming title, Streets of Fortuna. The studio also announced Thousand Hells, a tactical narrative game developed by A Sharp, the team behind King of Dragon Pass and Six Ages. Kitfox continues to support games from its publishing partners while developing its own projects.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Crypt of the Necrodancer
• Cadence of Hyrule
• Cobalt Core
• Super Raft Boat Together

Vancouver-based Brace Yourself Games is an indie developer and publisher known for mixing music with unusual gameplay.

Its best-known game, 2015’s Crypt of the NecroDancer, has generated more than $500,000 in estimated lifetime revenue across mobile.

The studio later worked with Nintendo on rhythm-based adventure Cadence of Hyrule. Its publishing business also helps other indies bring their games to market.

February 2025 welcomed Rift of the NecroDancer, a new rhythm title starring Cadence and subsequent music packs featuring games and artists such as Hatsune Miku, Friday Night Funkin’, and Omega Strikers. In June 2026, Phantom Brigade received a free content update, while Rift of the NecroDancer marked its first anniversary with new content and events.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• No More Room in Hell 2
• Chivalry II
• Chivalry: Medieval Warfare

Toronto-based Torn Banner Studios is an independent developer known for games built around large medieval battles and close-range combat. The studio began as a group of mod makers and released Chivalry: Medieval Warfare in 2012, followed by Chivalry 2 in 2021, which sold 1m copies in its first two months.

In 2024, Torn Banner acquired fellow Toronto developer Lever Games and took over development of No More Room in Hell 2, an eight-player co-op zombie survival game. It entered Early Access in October 2024 before launching fully on PC and consoles in August 2026.

The game passed 1 million players in August 2026, and by October had sold more than 1m copies across PC and consoles. Torn Banner continues to support Chivalry 2 while releasing updates for No More Room in Hell 2, including new missions, maps and survival features.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Lever Games

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Doctor Who: Lost in Time
• Rupaul’s Drag Race Match Queen
• Power Rangers: Mighty Force
• Milk Farm Tycoon

Founded in 2011, Vancouver-based East Side Games is known for free-to-play mobile games built around popular TV shows and entertainment brands.

The studio also develops mobile games using its Game Kit technology, which helps other developers build and run games. It operates as part of East Side Games Group, formerly LEAF Mobile, which owns several studios and game brands.

Its mobile catalogue has generated more than $100m in estimated lifetime revenue and over 20m downloads. Trailer Park Boys: Greasy Money accounts for more than $50m in estimated revenue.

In 2026, East Side Games Group cut costs and reduced staff as it shifted its focus to profitable existing games and lowered debt. The group also plans to pursue lower-risk partnerships to support future development.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• South of Midnight
• We Happy Few
• Contrast

Montreal-based Compulsion Games is known for story-driven adventures with unusual worlds and art styles. Its early game, 2013’s Contrast, was followed by We Happy Few in 2018, a survival adventure set in an alternate version of 1960s England.

The studio released South of Midnight in April 2025. Set in the American Deep South, the game follows Hazel as she explores local folklore, fights strange creatures and searches for her missing mother. The adventure earned praise for its art, music and narrative, winning several awards, including a BAFTA.

Microsoft acquired the studio in 2018, bringing it into Xbox Game Studios. However, in August 2026, Compulsion completed an MBO from Xbox, regaining ownership of its studio, staff and games.

Compulsion is now exploring funding and partnerships to support its future, while part of the team continues work on a new title.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Disney Dreamlight Valley
• Asphalt
• Dungeon Hunter
• Gangster series
• Modern Combat

Founded in 2000, Gameloft Montréal has spent more than 25 years making games for mobile, PC and consoles. The studio built its name with mobile franchises before shifting focus to PC and console.

Its biggest success so far is 2023’s Disney Dreamlight Valley, a life sim and adventure game developed with Disney and Pixar Games. Players build a village and spend time with Disney and Pixar characters. In 2025, Gameloft said it had generated more than $300m in revenue.

Gameloft Montréal is now focused exclusively on PC and console development. Its next major project is an untitled Dungeons & Dragons game set in the Forgotten Realms. The studio describes it as a mix of survival, life simulation and action RPG gameplay, with cooperative play at its core. The project has no confirmed release date.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Star Wars Squadrons
• Star Wars Battlefront II
• Dead Space

Montreal-based Motive Studio is an EA developer known for Star Wars: Squadrons and the Dead Space 2023 remake. Founded in 2015, the studio focuses on action games set in established entertainment worlds.

The studio is now working on a new Iron Man game in collaboration with Marvel Games. Announced in 2022, the single-player, third-person action-adventure will tell an original story and is led by Olivier Proulx, who previously worked on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

Motive joined EA’s Battlefield development team in 2024 and contributed to Battlefield 6, which released in October last year. Working alongside DICE, Criterion and Ripple Effect, the Montreal studio helped develop the single-player campaign and multiplayer maps.

The team’s 2023 remake of Dead Space drew on the team’s love of the original, with several developers joining Motive specifically to work on the remake.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Electronic Arts

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Age of Empires IV
• Company of Heroes 3
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

Founded in 1997, Vancouver-based Relic Entertainment is best known for strategy games such as Homeworld, Age of Empires IV, and Company of Heroes 3 which arrived in 2023.

Relic became independent in March 2024 after separating from Sega, with investment firm Emona Capital backing the move. The change came during a difficult period for the studio. Relic laid off 41 employees in April 2024, following earlier job cuts in 2023.

Since then, the outfit has continued supporting Company of Heroes 3 with updates and new content. In 2026, it marked the original Company of Heroes’ 20th anniversary, celebrating the game that helped establish its name in real-time strategy.

Relic continues to develop games around large battles, tactical choices and historical settings, while maintaining its focus on the franchises that built its reputation.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Balatro

LocalThunk is the solo developer behind Balatro, the poker-inspired deck-building game that became one of 2024’s biggest indie hits. Based in Canada, the developer started the game as a hobby.

Balatro launched in 2024 on PC and consoles with help from publisher Playstack, then mobile in September that year. The game mixes poker hands with special cards called Jokers, letting players build combinations to score points and beat increasingly difficult rounds.

By January 2025, Balatro had sold 5m copies across all platforms and won Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2024. It also won the People’s Choice award at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2025.

The mobile release made almost $1m in its first seven days and has since surpassed 2 million mobile downloads, generating more than $20m in estimated lifetime mobile revenue. LocalThunk is still working on the game’s 1.1 update.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

PlayStack

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Sea of Stars
• The Messenger

Quebec City-based Sabotage Studio is an independent developer known for making retro-inspired games with pixel art and modern gameplay. Founded in 2016, the studio made its debut with The Messenger, a ninja action platformer released in 2018 that won Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards.

Its second game, Sea of Stars, launched in 2023 and brought the studio to a much larger audience. The turn-based RPG follows two warriors who use the powers of the sun and moon to fight an evil alchemist. It has since been played by more than 6 million people worldwide.

In June 2026, Sabotage released the Sunset Edition, the final major update for Sea of Stars. It added a new cinematic opening, gameplay changes and support for Nintendo Switch 2. The studio has now moved its full attention to its third game, known by the codename Project Sparrow, though details remain under wraps.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• At Fate’s End
• 33 Immortals
• Spiritfarer
• Sundered

Montreal-based Thunder Lotus Games is a 2014 independent studio known for hand-drawn art and action games with strong stories. Released in 2020, Spiritfarer became the studio’s biggest hit, selling more than 4 million copies. The cosy management game puts players in the role of Stella, a ferry master who helps spirits prepare for the afterlife. It earned praise for its story about death, friendship and letting go.

Thunder Lotus has since moved into multiplayer gaming with 33 Immortals, a co-op action game that enables up to 33 players to fight together. After launching in Early Access in 2025, the game reached its full release in June 2026.

The studio pushed back its next game, At Fate’s End, to 2027. A free demo launched on Steam, giving players an early look at the title.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• The Long Dark
• BLACKFROST: The Long Dark 2

Founded in 2012, Vancouver-based Hinterland is an independent game developer and publisher best known for The Long Dark, a survival game set in the frozen Canadian wilderness. Players must manage hunger, thirst, fatigue, and cold while searching for supplies.

The game launched in 2014 and has since attracted more than 10m players. Its story mode, Wintermute, follows pilot Will Mackenzie and Dr Astrid Greenwood as they try to survive after a mysterious disaster. In March 2026, Hinterland released Episode Five, bringing the story to its conclusion.

Hinterland is also developing Blackfrost: The Long Dark 2, a sequel planned to enter Early Access in 2027. In an update, the studio said it would focus more on improving and expanding the original game’s survival mode while a smaller team continues work on the sequel. Hinterland plans to reveal the first gameplay footage of Blackfrost before the end of 2026.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Outlast
• Outlast 2
• The Outlast Trials

Montreal-based Red Barrels has built its name on the Outlast horror series, which has terrified more than 37m players worldwide. Founded in 2011 by Philippe Morin, David Chateauneuf, and Hugo Dallaire, the indie studio develops and self-publishes its games.

The original Outlast launched in 2013, putting players in the role of a journalist investigating a mysterious psychiatric hospital. Outlast 2 came in 2017 and The Outlast Trials, a multiplayer horror game set during the Cold War, launched March 2024.

Trials sold more than 500k copies in its first week and reached 3m players by March 2025. Red Barrels has continued to support the game with regular updates, new maps, challenges and limited-time events. Its Season 7 update, Project Boneyard, arrived in July 2026, adding a new prison farm environment. And the Outlast universe has also expanded through comics and merchandise.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• My Singing Monsters
• Foregone
• Thumpies
• Power Chord

Founded in 2004 and based in London, Ontario, Big Blue Bubble is best known for creating major mobile franchise My Singing Monsters, but has developed more than 100 games across mobile, PC and consoles.

My Singing Monsters has passed 180m players worldwide, according to Big Blue Bubble. AppMagic estimates that its mobile app has generated more than $100m lifetime revenue, while its Google Play listing shows more than 50m downloads.

In 2026, the developer added a virtual music club featuring T-Pain to the game. It also launched My Singing Monsters Karaoke, a free rhythm game for Steam featuring music from the franchise and rapper bbno$. The studio partnered with the JUNO Awards in March 2026, bringing its monsters into events celebrating Canadian music.

The studio’s games have surpassed 100m downloads across its portfolio.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Enad Global 7

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Golf Blitz
• Chameleon Run
• Bitcoin Billionaire
• Alto’s Adventure
• Alto’s Odyssey

Noodlecake has grown from a small Saskatoon studio into a developer and publisher known for helping independent games reach new audiences. Founded in 2011, the company first found success with mobile hits such as Super Stickman Golf before expanding into PC, console and mobile publishing.

Recent additions to its celebrated catalogue include 2025’s Winter Burrow, a cosy survival game.

In January 2025, Australia’s Streamplay acquired Noodlecake, with plans to grow its development and publishing business. New publishing signings have continued, including a June 2026 agreement with Tiecorp Studio, and a publishing deal for Monkey Brain, a physics-based roguelike planned for PC. The studio’s mobile portfolio has passed 200m downloads and generated more than $20m in estimated lifetime revenue.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Hardspace: Shipbreaker
• Homeworld 3
• Minecraft Legends
• Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

Vancouver-based indie studio known for strategy games and science fiction worlds. Founded in 2010 by Rob Cunningham, Yossarian King and Aaron Kambeitz, Blackbird has worked on several major projects.

It has also expanded beyond its own games through co-development work on projects such as Starfield, Subnautica: Below Zero and Warcraft Remastered Battlechest. The studio says it has shipped 10 games and worked on titles reaching 25m players.

In 2025, Blackbird acquired the rights to the Hardspace franchise from Focus Entertainment, giving it control over the future of Hardspace: Shipbreaker. The studio also signed a deal with publisher Lyrical Games to develop a new title.

Despite past layoffs in 2023 and 2024, Blackbird continues to operate in Vancouver, combining its own projects with support for other developers.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Marvel Contest of Champions
• Shop Titans
• Wilderings: The Lost Spring

Founded in 2006, Kabam has built its business around mobile games based on major entertainment brands, with Marvel Contest of Champions becoming its biggest success. The Vancouver-based developer is now owned by South Korean publisher Netmarble and has built a catalogue of fighting, role-playing and simulation games.

Marvel Contest of Champions launched in 2014 and has since generated more than $2bn in mobile revenue. The fighting game has grown from 26 characters to a roster of more than 300 Marvel heroes and villains, supported by regular updates and new story content. In May 2025, the game arrived on PC for the first time, with cross-play between PC and mobile enabling players to continue their progress across platforms.

Kabam’s other titles include Transformers: Forged to Fight, Shop Titans and Disney Mirrorverse. However, not every release has lasted. Disney Mirrorverse shut down in December 2024 after generating an estimated $34m in mobile revenue.

The company has also faced changes to its operations. In June 2026, Kabam confirmed plans to consolidate its Los Angeles office, amid reports of layoffs. The studio did not disclose how many employees would be affected, but said it remained committed to its games and partners. Kabam has also gone through previous rounds of cuts, including layoffs in both 2022 and 2023.

Marvel Contest of Champions remains Kabam’s biggest success, with more than $2bn in mobile revenue and a PC release that has brought the game to a new platform. Alongside Shop Titans and its other titles, the studio continues to operate a portfolio built around established games and entertainment brands.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Netmarble

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Marvel Contest of Champions
• Shop Titans
• Wilderings: The Lost Spring

Founded in Montréal in 2007, Ludia has spent nearly two decades turning popular entertainment brands into mobile games, including Jurassic World, Dragons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The studio shifted its focus from console games to mobile in 2011.

Its biggest hit is Jurassic World: The Game, launched in 2015. The dinosaur collection and battle game has passed 100m downloads. Jurassic World Alive followed in 2018, bringing dinosaurs into the real world through location-based gameplay. Other titles in its portfolio include Dragons: Rise of Berk, TMNT: Legends and games based on Family Feud.

Earlier this year in March, Jurassic World: The Game received Update 89, adding new dinosaurs, hybrids and limited-time events. Its mobile roster has generated more than 200 million downloads and over $500m in estimated lifetime revenue, while the company reports more than 500m downloads across its history.

Ludia generated an estimated $76.4m in revenue in 2025. Jurassic World: The Game leads with $306.6m in lifetime revenue and average monthly revenue of $2.3m in 2026. Jurassic World Alive follows its predecessor with $207.8m, while Dragons: Rise of Berk has passed $100m in lifetime revenue.

Jam City acquired Ludia in 2021 for $165m before selling it to Canadian investors in 2025. Around 130 employees remained at the studio following the change in ownership. In August 2026, Ludia announced plans under CEO Jimmy Gendron to create 50 new jobs and pursue acquisitions, signalling ambitions to expand beyond its existing portfolio. Now back under Canadian ownership, the studio aims to grow through new games, fresh ideas and further investment.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile

Beenox has become a key part of Activision’s Call of Duty machine, helping deliver one of gaming’s biggest annual releases from its Canadian studios. Founded in Quebec City in 2000, the developer was acquired by Activision in 2005 and now operates from both Quebec City and Montréal.

Rather than building its reputation around a single game of its own, Beenox has become known for supporting major franchises. Its work has included ports and remasters, new content for Call of Duty: Warzone, and development support across the main Call of Duty series. In 2024, it helped deliver Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, including the PC version for the sixth year in a row.

In 2025, Beenox also helped bring back Verdansk, the original Call of Duty: Warzone map. The team rebuilt the map to bring back its familiar layout and gameplay while adding improvements for modern players. It continued that work in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which released in November 2025, leading the PC version alongside Treyarch. The PC release included more than 800 settings, broad hardware support and upgrades for handheld devices.

Beenox has also grown beyond its original Quebec City base. In 2023, Activision opened a Montréal office to support its growing workload, with plans to increase the studio’s workforce by more than 20%. At the time, Beenox had more than 400 developers across its locations. However, the studio’s work is not limited to shipping games. Earlier this year in August, Beenox presented research at SIGGRAPH on ways to reduce motion sickness in games, showing how its teams also work on technical challenges that can improve the player experience.

The studio’s continued growth has come through new teams, technical work and an increasing role across Call of Duty. With each new release, the Canadian studio remains a key part of delivering the franchise to PC players and supporting Warzone’s live updates.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Activision

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Don’t Starve Elsewhere
• Don’t Starve Together
• Rift of the Necrodancer
• Fretless

Klei Entertainment has built its reputation on games that give players plenty of freedom, but make survival anything but easy. Founded in Vancouver in 2005, the independent studio is best known for Don’t Starve, Don’t Starve Together and Oxygen Not Included, alongside Mark of the Ninja and Invisible, Inc. Its games stand out for their hand-drawn art, unusual worlds and systems that reward planning and experimentation.

Don’t Starve Together remains one of Klei’s biggest successes. The multiplayer survival game has continued to attract players years after its 2016 release, reaching a new record of more than 122,000 concurrent players on Steam in June 2026. The original Don’t Starve has also remained popular through expansions that add new characters, environments and challenges.

In July 2026, Klei and publisher Playdigious brought Don’t Starve Together to iOS and Android, giving fans another way to play the co-op survival game. AppMagic estimates that the studio’s mobile portfolio has surpassed a million downloads and $5m in lifetime revenue, led by Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition.

Klei has also announced its next major game, Don’t Starve Elsewhere. Revealed in April earlier this year, the upcoming survival adventure takes the series into a 3D world with cliffs, mountains and different elevations, adding jumping to the familiar mix of crafting, farming, exploration and survival. The game does not yet have a release date, but players can wishlist it on Steam.

With its own games and a loyal player base, Klei has built a business around long-running titles rather than a constant stream of new releases. Don’t Starve Elsewhere now gives the studio a chance to grow one of its best-known series while keeping the challenging survival gameplay that fans have come to expect.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Tencent

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Dora: Explore and Play
• Bluey: Let’s Play
• Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures
• Disney Frozen Royal Castle
• Paw Patrol Rescue World

Founded in Montréal in 2010, Budge Studios has built a large mobile games business by bringing popular children’s brands to phones and tablets. Its portfolio includes Bluey, PAW Patrol, Barbie, Hot Wheels, My Little Pony and Hello Kitty, with games built around familiar characters, simple activities and learning through play.

The company has surpassed 2 billion lifetime downloads across its mobile portfolio after 15 years in the market. Its biggest titles include Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures, which has generated more than 100m downloads, and PAW Patrol Rescue World, which has also passed 100m. Bluey: Let’s Play has become another major hit, passing 75m downloads in 2026 after a major content update. Budge’s 64 apps have also generated more than $200m in lifetime revenue.

The company has also continued to expand its partnerships. In March 2026, it launched Dora: Explore and Play!, returning to the franchise that helped launch its business in 2010. The app brings the bilingual explorer into an interactive experience built around music, problem-solving and early learning. Earlier this year in February, private equity firm Haveli Investments agreed to acquire Budge Studios from General Atlantic, although the financial terms were not disclosed. Budge had previously been acquired by Tilting Point in 2022. Haveli said the deal would support the expansion of Budge’s portfolio and help it develop new games for families.

With its focus on well-known children’s brands and family-friendly mobile experiences, Budge has carved out a large place in the kids’ games market and continues to update its long-running hits while building new apps that can attract another generation of young players.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Haveli Investments

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
• Rainbow Six
• Far Cry
• Watch Dogs

Ubisoft may be a French company, but much of its biggest work happens in Canada. Ubisoft Montréal opened in 1997 with just 50 staff and grew into the company’s largest studio, with around 4,000 employees by 2021. Ubisoft also runs studios in Québec City, Toronto, Sherbrooke and Saguenay, and employed about 5,400 people across Canada as of March 2025.

These Canadian teams are behind many of Ubisoft’s best-known games. Montréal created Assassin’s Creed in 2007 and has led work on Far Cry and Rainbow Six Siege. Québec made Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Shadows, while Toronto helped build Star Wars Outlaws and is now leading the long-awaited Splinter Cell remake.

Canada’s importance became even more evident in October 2025, when Ubisoft launched Vantage Studios. Tencent completed a €1.16bn investment in November 2025 for a 26.32% economic stake in the new company, which houses Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six. Ubisoft retains exclusive control of Vantage. Four of Vantage’s six studios are in Canada: Montréal, Québec City, Sherbrooke and Saguenay.

But 2026 has been a tough year for Ubisoft’s Canadian staff. In January, the company shut down Ubisoft Halifax, which developed mobile games including Assassin’s Creed Rebellion, cutting 71 jobs just weeks after workers there formed a union. Montréal’s Prince of Persia remake was cancelled, while Ubisoft also announced that Rainbow Six Mobile would shut down on January 15th, 2027, ending the game’s service less than a year after its global launch in February 2026.

Despite the cuts and restructuring, Ubisoft’s Canadian studios remain central to its biggest franchises. Montréal and Québec have helped build Assassin’s Creed over nearly two decades, while Toronto has contributed to major releases including Star Wars Outlaws.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Warframe
• Soulframe
• Extreme Pinball
• Dark Sector

Digital Extremes has a long history of building action games, but its biggest success is a title it has continued to support for more than a decade. Founded in 1993 and based in London, Ontario, the studio first gained attention with shareware games such as Epic Pinball before helping create Unreal and Unreal Tournament with Epic Games. Those early projects established its reputation for fast-paced action and online multiplayer.

The studio later worked on games including BioShock 2, Homefront and The Darkness II, as well as multiplayer content for Halo 4. However, its business changed most through Warframe, the free-to-play action game launched in 2013. Players take control of space-faring warriors known as Tenno, completing missions, collecting equipment and taking on new challenges. Regular updates and years of new content have helped Warframe build a large, lasting player base.

Digital Extremes has also expanded Warframe beyond its original platforms. After launching on iOS in February 2024, the game arrived on Android in February 2026. AppMagic estimates that the mobile version has passed 5 million downloads and generated more than $5m in lifetime revenue. These figures cover the mobile version, rather than the game’s full player base across PC and consoles. The studio says Warframe has passed 85m registered players across all platforms.

Its next major project is Soulframe, a free-to-play fantasy action game that moves away from Warframe’s science fiction setting. The studio has been sharing updates through its Preludes testing programme as development continues. Digital Extremes is also extending Warframe into tabletop gaming through a partnership with Paizo, bringing its universe to the Starfinder role-playing game.

With Warframe still attracting new players more than a decade after launch, Digital Extremes has built a business around long-term support rather than replacing its biggest hit every few years. Soulframe now gives the studio another original universe to develop, while Warframe’s arrival on Android opens the door to more players.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Leyou

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Gears of War: E-Day
• Gears of War: Reloaded
• Gears of War 4
• Gear of War: 5
• Gears POP!

The Coalition has become the home of one of Xbox’s most important franchises: Gears of War. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the studio is part of Xbox Game Studios and has more than 200 employees. Its history also includes several name changes, beginning as Zipline Studios before becoming Microsoft Game Studios Vancouver and then Black Tusk Studios. Microsoft renamed it The Coalition in 2015 after acquiring the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games. Since then, the studio has led development of Gears of War 4, Gears 5 and Gears Tactics, helping carry the series through a new era. The franchise has attracted more than 50m unique users, according to the studio, with its mix of cover-based shooting, science fiction and cooperative play keeping fans engaged for two decades.

In August 2025, The Coalition released Gears of War: Reloaded, a remastered version of the original 2006 game. It brought the series to PlayStation for the first time, alongside Xbox and PC, with cross-play and cross-progression across platforms.

Its biggest recent project is Gears of War: E-Day, a prequel exploring the first attack by the Locust on humanity. The game launched on October 6th 2026, following early access for players from October 1st. Developed with People Can Fly, it returns to the series’ origins while using Unreal Engine 5 to deliver updated visuals and combat.

The studio has continued working through a difficult period for Xbox, which has cut jobs and closed studios across its games business. However, there has been no public confirmation that The Coalition itself was among the teams directly affected by the latest cuts. With E-Day now released and Gears of War still central to Xbox’s plans, The Coalition remains a key part of Microsoft’s first-party development network.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Xbox Game Studios

Microsoft

SOFTOGRAPHY

• EA Sports FC 27
• EA Sports FC 26
• NHL 27
• NHL 26

EA Vancouver is one of Canada’s biggest game development hubs, working on some of Electronic Arts’ best-known franchises. Based in Burnaby, British Columbia, the studio is part of EA’s global network and supports games played by millions of people around the world.

The studio’s work spans sports, action and multiplayer games. Its teams contribute to EA Sports FC, NHL and UFC, while the wider Vancouver operation also supports Apex Legends and skate. EA also lists Plants vs. Zombies and Need for Speed among the franchises developed at the campus. The site houses a large motion capture facility as well, alongside creative, technology and other support teams.

EA Vancouver’s role goes beyond testing games before release. Its developers work on major annual sports releases, helping build the gameplay, technology and content that keep these franchises running. EA Sports FC and NHL are recurring releases, while UFC remains another key part of the company’s sports catalogue. The studio’s size and access to motion capture facilities make it an important part of EA’s production network.

However, EA Vancouver operates within a publisher facing major changes. In June 2026, reports emerged of further layoffs across EA, affecting support and operations teams, following cuts across several Battlefield development studios. In August, EA confirmed that its $55bn acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners had closed.

While these changes could shape EA’s future, Vancouver remains a key centre for its games business. With major sports franchises and other projects in development, the studio continues to play an important role in delivering some of EA’s most recognised games.

SOFTOGRAPHY

• Dead by Daylight
• Meet Your Maker
• The Casting of Frank Stone
• 7 Days to Die
• What the Fog

Founded in 1992, Behaviour Interactive has grown into Canada’s largest independent game developer, with a history spanning original games, major entertainment brands and external development partnerships. The Montréal-based company is best known for Dead by Daylight, its multiplayer horror game that passed 50 million players in 2022 and has since grown beyond 60m.

Dead by Daylight remains the company’s biggest success. Launched in 2016, the game has built a large global community through regular updates, new killers, survivors and partnerships with major entertainment brands. Behaviour has also developed mobile games, including Home Boov Pop! Puzzle Adventure, Pro Feel Golf and Tree World, although many of its older mobile titles no longer appear to be available on global storefronts.

The studio has increasingly expanded through acquisitions. In September 2024, it acquired Vancouver-based Red Hook Studios, the developer behind the critically acclaimed Darkest Dungeon gothic RPG franchise. In March 2026, it acquired The Fun Pimps, the outfit behind survival game 7 Days to Die, which has sold more than 20 million copies.

The deal provides additional production support for the game while leaving its original team in charge of development. Beyond games, Behaviour has pursued entertainment partnerships, including a collaboration with PHI Studio on a Blade Runner immersive experience planned for 2027 and involvement in HEREDIS, a live production inspired by the Assassin’s Creed series, alongside Ubisoft and other partners.

However, the company has faced a difficult period. After cutting around 7% of its workforce in 2024, Behaviour confirmed further layoffs in April 2026 as demand for mobile and casual external development work fell. The cuts followed the closure of its subsidiary, Midwinter Entertainment, in 2024. Despite these challenges, Behaviour remains a major Canadian games company, with Dead by Daylight at its core and new opportunities through acquisitions and entertainment partnerships.

ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

Red Hook Studios

The Fun Pimps