Tencent reportedly closes TiMi Montréal studio

TiMi Studio Group, a Tencent subsidiary, has reportedly shut down its Montréal studio.

Sources told Game File that the closure was anticipated, and rumours resurfaced last Friday when another source stated the “shutdown was imminent.”

In a now-unavailable LinkedIn post, a TiMi Montréal programmer said the studio had closed and noted that employees had been aware “for some time.”

Another former worker responded to the post, writing: “This team was exceptional not just in talent, but also in camaraderie. It’s one of those experiences that sticks with you for a very long time, and I feel privileged to have been a part of it.”

Representatives for Tencent and TiMi Studio Group did not provide a comment to Game File.

Founded in 2021, TiMi Montréal was led by former Assassin’s Creed creative director Ashraf Ismail. The studio had not released a game in the five years since its founding.

Ismail joined the studio as a “consulting creative director” after being fired by Ubisoft Montréal in 2020 following a misconduct investigation.

In 2023, Tencent shuttered Team Kajiu – TiMi’s Los Angeles-based studio. It was established in 2020 and was working on an AAA multiplayer title.

Team Kaiju was overseen by former Halo and Battlefield leads Rosi Zagorcheva and Scott Warner.