Tencent Reportedly Shuts Down TiMi Montreal After Five Years Without a Launch
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Tencent has reportedly shuttered its TiMi Montreal studio after five years of development without a shipped game, reflecting a wider industry pullback on Western studio expansions by major Chinese publishers.
Tencent has reportedly closed its TiMi Montreal studio, ending a five-year run that failed to produce a released title. Originally established in 2021 to build ambitious AAA open world games across PC and consoles, the studio never officially revealed its project to the public. According to reporting by Rock Paper Shotgun via Game File, staff members had anticipated the shutdown for some time, with affected developers sharing the news through social media before posts were taken offline.
The studio gained attention in the industry when it brought on former Assassin's Creed creative director Ashraf Ismail back in 2021. Ismail had previously left Ubisoft following an investigation into misconduct. While the broader TiMi Studio Group has seen massive success with mobile titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and Pokémon Unite, along with PC shooters like Delta Force, the Montreal branch was tasked with carving out a new space in the cross-platform open world market.
This closure highlights a broader trend across the industry as major Chinese gaming giants pull back on the aggressive Western studio expansions that peaked during the pandemic years. Rival publisher NetEase has made similar cutbacks recently, signaling a shift toward more conservative investment strategies. For the players who follow these massive industry shifts, it is another reminder of how fragile high budget development pipelines have become in the current economic landscape.
Tags: Tencent, TiMi Montreal, Industry News, Game Development, Open World
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun