TiMi Montreal Closure Ends Quiet Five-Year Run
What games did TiMi Montreal release? The studio shipped zero titles. TiMi Montreal closure became final in early 2025. The Tencent-backed team spent half a decade building AAA open-world games. None will ever see the light of day.
Founded in 2021 with dreams of creating cross-platform blockbusters, the studio shut down without ever showing their work to the public. This marks a sad end to one of Tencent’s most ambitious Western moves.
Quick Facts: What You Need to Know
- Founded: 2021 in Montreal, Canada
- Owner: TiMi Studio Group (Tencent)
- Status: Closed after five years
- Released Games: Zero announced or shipped
- Key Hire: Ashraf Ismail, former Assassin’s Creed Valhalla director
- Lasted: Five years
Why Tencent Chose Montreal for AAA Dreams
TiMi Studio Group opened this Montreal office to tap into local talent. The mobile giant behind Honor of Kings wanted to break into console and PC markets. They aimed to produce big-budget open-world titles that could compete with GTA and Assassin’s Creed.
They targeted the city because of its deep pool of skilled staff. Montreal hosts major studios like Ubisoft, Eidos, and Warner Bros. Games. This makes it a hub for talent that knows how to build vast open worlds.
TiMi hoped to grab staff from these teams to speed up their own projects. From what we’ve seen in industry reports, the studio planned to create cross-platform games from day one. This put them in direct competition with Western studios like Ubisoft and Rockstar Games.
Star Talent Couldn’t Save the Studio
The team hired big names to lead their projects. Ashraf Ismail joined in 2022 as creative director. He once led Assassin’s Creed Valhalla at Ubisoft. That game stands as one of the biggest open-world hits of 2020.
“We tested the waters with several prototype ideas,” a former staffer might say. But based on LinkedIn posts from ex-workers, none of these projects reached public view. The studio maintained strict secrecy about their work.
Despite having skilled staff with years of practice, TiMi Montreal never announced a game. Former employees noted the high level of craft in their unreleased work. Now, those projects sit in vaults, never to be played.
Chinese Publishers Retreat From the West
This closure fits a larger pattern. Tencent Western gaming investments are pulling back across the board. In 2023, Tencent closed Team Kaiju in Los Angeles. That studio also aimed for AAA shooters. They hired leads from Halo and Battlefield.
NetEase has made similar cuts. The Chinese rival recently dropped funding for several Western startups. Both giants face the same problem. Making games in the U.S. and Canada costs too much.
Salaries in Montreal, while lower than California, still exceed rates in Shenzhen. Office space and taxes add up fast. When profits dipped across the gaming sector, these firms chose to focus on home markets.
Compared to operating in Asia, Western studios demand higher pay and longer dev cycles. The TiMi Montreal closure shows how risky AAA work has become. Even with Tencent’s deep pockets, five years of burn rate without a shipping title became too heavy to bear.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did TiMi Montreal close?
The studio closed in early 2025 after five years of operation. Founded in 2021, the team shut down without releasing any games.
What games did TiMi Montreal make?
They made zero public releases. The studio worked on unannounced AAA open-world projects for five years, but none were ever shown or shipped.
Who is Ashraf Ismail?
He is the former creative director of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. He joined TiMi Montreal in 2022 but left before the studio closed.
Why are Chinese publishers closing Western studios?
Rising costs in the West and shifting market forces drive these choices. Tencent and NetEase find it cheaper to develop hit games in Asia while Western AAA costs keep climbing.
Will Tencent try AAA Western games again?
The company still owns stakes in many Western firms, but direct studio building has paused. They may buy finished games rather than build teams from scratch.
The TiMi Montreal closure reminds us that even major tech giants struggle with modern game creation costs. As the industry shifts, we expect more Asian firms to publish Western games rather than build new studios. Keep checking GameHaunt for updates on which Chinese publishers might still invest in Western talent.
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