Multinational corporation Ubisoft chooses Quebec
Saguenay, September 5, 2017 —Thanks to its Horizon 2027 project, multinational corporation Ubisoft will invest 780 million dollars, create 1,000 new jobs in the next 10 years and open new studios, including in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, confirming Quebec’s position in the video game industry. This investment represents the company’s largest growth plan in Quebec in 20 years.
Details:
- 780 million dollars invested in Quebec by 2027
- 1,000 jobs in Quebec by 2027
- Ubisoft Saguenay: 125 jobs in the next five years
- Ubisoft Québec City: 200 additional jobs by 2027
- A new studio in another Quebec region and Ubisoft Montréal: 675 additional jobs by 2027
- An additional 13-million-dollar investment in new talent, entrepreneurship and applied academic research by 2020.
In implementing its Horizon 2027 project, Ubisoft will benefit from the tax credit for the production of multimedia titles.
Quotes
Since our arrival in May 2014, the economic face of Quebec has changed. Today, public finances are in order and allow us to invest and address unforeseen circumstances. Quebec’s credit rating is rising and the number of jobs is at an all-time high. These facts give Quebec businesses and foreign investors confidence. The result: Ubisoft chose Quebec for its biggest investment plan in the last 20 years. The company also trusts Quebec’s regions, as they are full of talent. The opening of a Ubisoft studio in Saguenay will diversify our region’s economy and meet the goals associated with the new priorities discussed during the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean economic summit held two years ago. Through its decisions, our government has unleashed Quebec’s economic potential. In a competitive global market that is constantly changing, Quebec is playing its cards right. Let’s maintain these efforts, because when our economy thrives, we can collectively provide funding for our public services and reduce the tax burden on families while keeping our debt under control.
– Philippe Couillard, Premier of Quebec
“We are proud to have contributed to Quebec’s emergence as one of the main international hubs in the production of video games. In the last 20 years, Ubisoft has created 3,600 jobs and invested over 3.5 billion dollars in Quebec, where it developed some of the biggest brands of the industry. Today, video games are the most dynamic segment of the entertainment sector in addition to being at the heart of technological development. We have a unique opportunity to build the technological Quebec of the future together. That’s why today we are announcing the most ambitious of our growth plans in Quebec, the opening of a studio in Saguenay and our desire to push our regional development vision even further.”
– Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft Co-founder and CEO
We are proud to support Ubisoft’s Horizon 2027 project, which will create 1,000 new jobs in Quebec, 125 of them specifically in Saguenay. By offering video game industry companies a stable, predictable and competitive fiscal framework that encourages major investments such as the one announced today, we are making Quebec one of the leaders in this sector as well as a globally recognized pole of excellence. This announcement shows once again the effectiveness of a tax credit for the production of multimedia titles, which has significant economic benefits for Quebec society as a whole.
– Carlos J. Leitão, Minister of Finances
Highlights
- The Quebec video game industry employs about 11,000 people spread out amongst 140 businesses, which gives it a leadership position in Canada and an important global presence.
- Note that Ubisoft opened its first branch on the American continent in Montréal in 1997, which became, 20 years later, the largest video game development studio worldwide, with over 3,000 employees in the Mile End neighbourhood. Ubisoft Montréal is, as a matter of fact, responsible for several successful franchises, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Tom Clancy’s and Prince of Persia. The company also owns a studio in Québec City with over 450 employees.
The refundable tax credit for the production of multimedia titles was created to foster the emergence and development of the video game industry in Quebec. It has allowed Quebec to become a leader in the sector and a global centre of excellence.
