Game development agency Amber opens new studio in Montréal

Amber Montréal will be headed up by General Manager Gwen Heliou. Gwen is a creative leader with a decade of successful experience in building diverse and cohesive teams. Arrived in Montreal in 2001, he has spent more than 20 years in both production and management roles working on mobile and console titles. His background in Technical Art Direction and mobile development has been key to setting up creative and dynamic studios like Ubisoft Halifax.

As Amber Montréal opens amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, all work will be done remotely. Amber is looking for 15 full-time specialists to join the team.

“Amber has been rapidly growing with an international team across Europe and North America, and we wanted to continue this global expansion with a multi-disciplinary game development studio in Canada,” said Mihai Pohontu, CEO of Amber. “Montréal is the perfect place for this, as it’s one of the most cosmopolitan cities in North America, with a rich mixture of cultures from all over the world.”

This expansion follows Amber’s recent expansion into Guadalajara, Mexico in February. The launch of Amber’s localization workstream will complement its current support services business and will bring additional value for Amber’s partners. As the studio grows, additional development disciplines would be added, which will extend Amber’s capabilities to create content across multiple time zones, along with gaining access to new markets and partnerships.

Amber has been a key development provider in the video game industry since 2013, delivering a full range of product design, development and studio service solutions. With its headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, Amber has a team of over 650 people, including its studios in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Guadalajara. Amber Montréal is the next step in the development agency’s growth, prioritizing presence in proximity to their partners.

“The current crisis has proven the resilience of the video game industry in Greater Montréal and we are all glad to see it! With more than 15,000 experts in this field, the city is recognized as one of the five largest video game production centres in the world. Amber Studio will certainly be able to capitalize on the creativity of the Montréal ecosystem to grow further,” says Stéphane Paquet, President and CEO of Montréal International.

“Diversifying our exports and expanding foreign direct investment are two of our main strategies for ensuring Québec’s continued economic development,” noted Hubert Bolduc, President of Investissement Québec International. “Creating video games is a growth industry, and the arrival of Romania-based Amber Studio speaks to Québec’s attractiveness for the industry and a wide range of partners.”

Recruitment for the new studio has already begun and applicants can find further details on the Amber’s Careers Page:  https://amberstudio.com/careers/

About Amber

Amber is a global game development agency built by a collective of artisans residing in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bucharest, Botosani and Guadalajara, which delivers a reference solution for creative work in interactive entertainment. The agency offers a full range of turn-key product development solutions, including concept-to-launch game production, live operations, co-development and studio services. Amber is structured as a network of studios with different specializations, which retains over 650 staff around the world.

Amber partners with renowned brands including Disney, NBC Universal, Paradox Interactive, Rovio, That Game Company, and Raw Fury among others.

To visit the Amber website: https://amberstudio.com/

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