Ubisoft Entertainment, one of the world’s largest interactive entertainment publishers, has opened its new Winnipeg video game development studio.
“We are excited to see Ubisoft open the doors to its Winnipeg studio,” said Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen. “We are pleased Manitoba’s Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit has attracted one of game industry’s largest players, and look forward to its arrival creating jobs and sparking the industry’s growth in Manitoba.”
Founded in France, Ubisoft has more than 15,000 employees including 5,000 in Canada. In 2017-18, the company’s total annual sales exceeded 1.7 billion euros. Ubisoft plans to invest C$35 million in Manitoba and create approximately 100 new jobs for skilled workers in Winnipeg over the next five years.
“With the arrival of Ubisoft, there will be new opportunities for people to work in the exciting fields of interactive digital media, information and communications technology,” Pedersen said. “Opportunities like these are key to ensuring young Manitobans have great career possibilities, right here at home, as well as attracting new residents to our province.”
To help attract new investment in Manitoba, the province enhanced its Manitoba’s Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit, which provides a fully refundable income tax credit to companies that develop eligible interactive digital media products, the minister noted. Budget 2016 expanded the tax credit to support larger digital media companies that establish a significant job-creating presence in Manitoba, and Budget 2017 extended the tax credit to the end of 2022, he said.
“We are happy and excited to be part of the innovative and creative community in Manitoba, where we have already started to see strong success, hiring over 25 talented game developers in the few months since announcing our new studio,” said Darryl Long, managing director, Ubisoft Winnipeg. “We thank the government of Manitoba for its support of the interactive digital media industry.”
The minister thanked the other members of ‘Team Manitoba’ including the City of Winnipeg, Economic Development Winnipeg and Yes! Winnipeg, for their ongoing efforts to help attract economic development opportunities to Manitoba.
