Highlights
- Tencent has apparently closed TiMi Montreal nearly five years after its establishment, without releasing a game.
- The studio was founded in 2021 to build AAA open-world multi-platform titles as part of the North America expansion.
- The move reflects a broader pullback by Chinese publishers, including reported funding cuts by NetEase.
Tencent has reportedly shut down its TiMi Montreal studio nearly five years after establishing it, ending the project without releasing a game. The closure came to light after a programmer posted on LinkedIn that the studio had officially closed; the post has since been removed. Game File reported that sources had indicated for weeks that a shutdown was imminent, but confirmation surfaced only after the employee statement.
Tencent and TiMi representatives did not respond to requests for comments.
Staff had known the decision was coming “for some time,” the programmer wrote. They added that they were “genuinely heartbroken that the public will never get to experience what this team was capable of producing.”
Likewise, other employees have also posted about the closure.
TiMi Montreal Reportedly Signals North America Retrenchment
Announced in July 2021, TiMi Montreal was created to build “AAA open-world multi-platform games,” and described as an ambitious, service-driven project. The studio was part of TiMi Studio Group’s North American expansion and joined offices in Los Angeles, Seattle, Shanghai, and Chengdu.
Tencent closed its Los Angeles-based Team Kaiju in 2023.
The Montreal team recruited senior Western developers, including former Assassin’s Creed Valhalla creative director Ashraf Ismail. Its formation coincided with a period of rapid global studio expansion during the pandemic. During that time, Chinese companies such as Tencent and NetEase invested heavily in Western development capacity.
Few releases followed, and over the past 18 months, reports indicate funding pullbacks, including by NetEase.
TiMi Studio Group, headquartered in Shenzhen, develops and operates titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile, Honor of Kings, and Pokémon Unite. The game file also noted that current TiMi vacancies are concentrated in China.
Tencent has continued selective overseas investments, including a 26.32% economic stake in Ubisoft’s Vantage Studios and backing for Lighthouse Games. More recently, Tencent subsidiary Sumo Digital announced job cuts for a third consecutive year.
The closure reflects tightening AAA economics and shifting investment priorities. It also raises questions about Tencent’s long-term strategy for overseas studio expansion.
