Ubisoft opens office in Saguenay as part of Quebec expansion plans

The videogame maker Ubisoftis opening a new office in Saguenay as part of plans to expand in Quebec over the next decade.

The France-based company, which already has a major presence in Montreal,said the Saguenayoffice couldgrow to 125 employees within five years.

Theoffice will focus on the "development of connected experiences that allow millions of players to meet and interact on online game platforms."

"We are entrusting Ubisoft Saguenay with a mandate that is resolutely focused on the future," YannisMallat, the CEO of theUbisoftMontral, Quebec and Toronto studios, said in a statement.

Mallatmade the announcement Tuesday at a news conference in Chicoutimialongside PremierPhilippe Couillard.

• Ubisoft at 20: It's changed Mile End, but for the better?

The new officeis part ofUbisoft'slarger expansion blueprint for Quebec, with plans to invest an additional $780 millionand create 1,000 new jobs by 2027.

The province will contribute $160 million to help with the expansion, Couillard said.

In addition to Saguenay, Ubisoft anticipates creating 200 new jobs for Quebec City as well as 675 for Montreal and another new studio to be opened elsewhere in Quebec.

The company,best known for its Assassin's Creed series, already employs3,600 people in Quebec, most of them in Montreal.

Jobs for the Saguenayoffice have already been posted on the company's website.