Canadian studio Beenox has been one of Activision’s secret weapons for a while now, as they have lent support to numerous Call of Duty titles, such as Modern Warfare, Black Ops Cold War, Warzone, and CoD Mobile, as well other non-CoD games like Crash Bandicoot 4 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 (they also solo-developed Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled).
With so much on its plate, Beenox is looking to expand. The studio started in Quebec City, and now, like so many other developers, they’re opening a Montreal location. Beenox currently has 400 employees, with 150 being hired in the last year alone, and they’re looking to bolster their ranks by 20 percent (so, another 80 employees or so). Going forward, the goal is to focus on Call of Duty – specifically more content for Warzone and a new CoD Mobile experience, although other projects may be on the table (Activision obviously likes to keep Beenox busy).
Beenox studio head Nour Polloni had the following to say about the expansion…
I am very excited to announce the arrival of a new Beenox studio location in Montreal. We are counting on the city’s great diversity of talent to build a team that will allow us to broaden our creative perspective and bring even more diversity to our development. This investment in Montreal is the next key step in our studio’s growth as we continue to support the creative ambitions across the Call of Duty franchise. We want our location to attract local and international talent and contribute to the vibrant video game industry in Montreal.
This second office will allow us to enhance our fields of expertise and grow our creative spirit. Our priority will be to provide our teams with a space that nurtures inspiration and innovation, but also facilitates collaboration, learning and building strong bonds. We want our team to be proud, excited, and comfortable going to the studio.
California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has filed suit against Activision Blizzard, alleging widespread gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment at the Call of Duty publisher. You can get more detail on that unfolding story here.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 are both slated for a 2022 release, with Beenox likely helping with one or both.
