Ubisoft Montreal

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In 2000, Ubisoft bought the Prince of Persia IP from Mattel Interactive, which had acquired The Learning Company, which had bought Broderbund. Ubisoft's internal decision assigned the IP to the Montreal studio. Ubisoft Montreal took the original 2D platforming games into a third-person 3D perspective, incorporating parkour, as well as bringing the series' original creator Jordan Mechner as a consultant for the game's story. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was released in 2003, and proved a critical and financial success, with approximately 2-3 million copies sold in its initial release, as well as several sequels. A small team in Ubisoft Montreal worked on developing a Prince of Persia for the next-generation consoles starting in 2005. They wanted to break away from having the player-character as a prince, and soon came to the concept of having the player control one of the Assassins in protecting the prince during the period of the Third Crusade. The newer hardware allowed them to expand the linear gameplay from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time into an open world. Ubisoft was not keen on releasing a title in the Prince of Persia series where the Prince was not the prime character, and the title was reworked to be a new IP, called Assassin's Creed that ended up being released in 2007, selling over 10 million units by 2014.

In Their Own Story

In 2001, Ubisoft acquired the rights to the Prince of Persia IP from Mattel and The Learning Company. Mattel was adamant about getting the Prince of Persia series and assured that the Montreal studio got the first chance to work with it. Ubisoft Montreal took the original 2D platforming games into a third-person 3D perspective, incorporating parkour, as well as bringing the series' original creator Jordan Mechner as a consultant for the game's story. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was released in 2003, and proved a critical and financial success, with over 14 million copies sold by 2014, as well as several sequels. A small team in Ubisoft Montreal worked on developing a Prince of Persia for the next-generation consoles starting in 2004. They wanted to break away from having the player-character as a prince, and soon came to the concept of having the player control one of the Assassins in protecting the prince during the period of the Third Crusade. The newer hardware allowed them to expand the linear gameplay from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time into an open world. Ubisoft was not keen on releasing a title in the Prince of Persia series where the Prince was not the prime character, and the title was reworked to be a new IP, called Assassin's Creed that ended up being released in 2007, selling over 10 million units by 2014.

Reader's Guide

The history of Prince of Persia at Ubisoft Montreal begins with the 2001 acquisition of the IP from Mattel and The Learning Company. Mattel assured that the Montreal studio got the first chance to work with it. The studio took the original 2D platforming games into a third-person 3D perspective, incorporating parkour, and brought series creator Jordan Mechner as a consultant for the game's story. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was released in 2003, and proved a critical and financial success, with over 14 million copies sold by 2014, as well as several sequels. A small team in Ubisoft Montreal worked on developing a Prince of Persia for the next-generation consoles starting in 2004. They wanted to break away from having the player-character as a prince, and soon came to the concept of having the player control one of the Assassins in protecting the prince during the period of the Third Crusade. The newer hardware allowed them to expand the linear gameplay from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time into an open world. Ubisoft was not keen on releasing a title in the Prince of Persia series where the Prince was not the prime character, and the title was reworked to be a new IP, called Assassin's Creed that ended up being released in 2007, selling over 10 million units by 2014.

Did You Know?

• Ubisoft Montreal was founded in April 1997 as part of Ubisoft's growth into worldwide markets, with subsidies from the governments of Montreal, Quebec, and Canada.
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, released in 2003, sold approximately 2-3 million copies in its initial release.
• The studio brought series creator Jordan Mechner as a consultant for the story of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
• A small team in Ubisoft Montreal working on a Prince of Persia for next-generation consoles starting in 2005 reworked the concept into a new IP called Assassin's Creed, released in 2007.
• By October 2022, Ubisoft Montreal employed over 4,000 staff, making it the largest game development studio in the world.

Strategic Origins and Government Partnership

Ubisoft Montreal emerged in April 1997 as a pivotal component of Ubisoft's global expansion strategy following its initial public offering. The decision to establish a studio in Quebec was driven by the need for French-speaking talent to facilitate communication with headquarters in Montreuil, alongside proximity to the massive North American market. This venture coincided with Montreal's economic pivot away from declining textile and manufacturing sectors toward technology. A complex negotiation involving lobbyist Sylvain Vaugeois and government officials resulted in a unique subsidy agreement where federal and provincial funds split costs to create 500 new multimedia jobs. Initially housed in a former textile factory in the Mile End neighborhood, the studio launched with just 50 employees. While early projects like Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers were commercially viable licensed titles for children, they served primarily as training grounds. This foundational period allowed the team to transition from inexperienced hires into a professional development unit capable of eventually creating original intellectual properties.

Breakout Success and Franchise Building

The studio's trajectory shifted dramatically with the release of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell in 2002, which served as its definitive breakout title. This success stemmed from salvaging assets from a cancelled New York project called The Drift, reimagining them into a stealth-action game to compete directly with Metal Gear Solid 2. Following this triumph, the studio secured the Prince of Persia franchise in 2001 after Ubisoft acquired rights from Mattel. By transforming the classic 2D platformer into a third-person 3D experience featuring parkour mechanics and consulting original creator Jordan Mechner, they delivered Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in 2003. This title became a massive critical and commercial hit, selling over 14 million copies by 2014. These two franchises provided the financial stability and creative confidence necessary for the studio to evolve from a licensee into an innovator, eventually spawning its own original worlds like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and For Honor.

Workforce Expansion and Global Scale

By October 2022, Ubisoft Montreal had grown exponentially to employ over 4,000 staff members, securing its status as the largest video game development studio in the world. This massive scale was not merely a corporate statistic but a reflection of the studio's sustained ability to manage multiple high-profile franchises simultaneously while nurturing new intellectual properties. The sheer size of the workforce underscores the complexity and ambition of their projects, which range from open-world action games to deep narrative experiences. The growth trajectory began with small teams handling specific IP segments, such as the group that conceptualized Assassin's Creed by reimagining the Prince of Persia universe around an assassin protecting a prince. As the studio matured, it absorbed talent and responsibilities that once belonged to smaller entities, becoming a central hub for Ubisoft's global operations and a primary driver of the company's revenue through its extensive catalog of sequels and original titles.

Economic Catalyst and City Transformation

Beyond its internal achievements, Ubisoft Montreal played an instrumental role in reshaping the cultural and economic landscape of Quebec. The studio's successful establishment helped transform Montreal into a recognized creative city, attracting numerous other video game developers and publishers to set up operations nearby. This clustering effect created a robust ecosystem for multimedia jobs, directly addressing the region's historical job losses from the early 1990s. The initial government subsidies were not just about saving one company but about seeding an entire industry that would thrive independently over time. By proving that high-end game development could flourish in Montreal, the studio validated the city as a global hub for digital entertainment. Its presence continues to influence local policy and urban development, ensuring that the creative economy remains a cornerstone of the region's identity alongside its traditional industries.

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