MONTRÉAL – Toy manufacturer Hasbro is opening a new video game studio in Montreal that will serve as a production hub for the Dungeons & Dragons franchise.
The arrival of the Wizards of the Coast division will create 200 jobs, said Dan Ayoub, who will head the new Montreal office, in an interview Tuesday conducted in French. Montreal’s talent pool was a decisive factor in choosing the city, he said.
“I’ve worked in Vancouver, I’ve worked in Seattle, I’ve worked all over North America, and Montreal is truly unique,” said the Montreal native. “There’s a density of talent that doesn’t exist anywhere else.”
The announcement reflects the city’s strengths in the video game industry, says Stéphane Paquet, president and CEO of Montréal International, a non-profit financed by the public and private sectors that works to attract foreign investment to the city.
In a press release, Paquet said the video game sector has 250 studios in the city that employ nearly 15,000 people, and that several big-budget productions are developed in Montreal. “Hasbro’s choice speaks volumes about our video game industry,” Paquet said.
Quebec’s tax credit for the multimedia industry also weighed in the balance, Ayoub said. “It’s definitely easier to make the case internally (in favour of Montreal) when you’re choosing where to create 200 jobs.”
The credit is not the only reason, he said. “I’ve worked in different cities that have incentives, but not the same talent pool, and it doesn’t work. You need both.”
Hasbro has had offices in Montreal since its acquisition of Invoke Studios in 2019.
The announcement comes as the video game industry and the information technology sector have experienced a slowdown in the past two years. “It’s definitely a bit difficult for the gaming industry right now,” Ayoub acknowledged.
Wizards of the Coast has already begun its recruitment process. “We want to start hiring right away.”
Work is underway at the company’s offices, which will be located in downtown Montreal. Employees will work remotely until the office opens next summer.
“We’re already feeling a lot of enthusiasm,” Ayoub said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2025.
