After having proposed live lock in 2016 through the program Square Enix Collective, Beanie Games was approached by Wizards of the Coast to work on a game Dungeons and Dragons. It was bought by its publisher in 2019 and thus delivered theAction RPG cooperative Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance in 2021.
And now, what’s next? Wizards of the Coast decided to start afresh on new bases by renaming Beanie Games in Invoke Studios. In principle, there will be no other major changes, because the team will remain the same and will continue to work from its premises in Montreal, while maintaining a certain autonomy under the tutelage of the founder Jeff Hattem, who will however now officiate in time as vice president alongside Dominic Guay, who came from Ubisoft. Invoke is currently developing a new title inspired by the license Dungeons & Dragonscaliber AAA and designed with the engine Unreal Engine 5.
The Montreal video game studio Invoke Studios has just been launched. Integrating the team that worked under the name Tuque Games, a company born in 2012 and recently purchased by the American publisher Wizards of the Coast, Invoke enters the AAA scene with a renewed mission and ambitions.
Wizards of the Coast is home to some of the most prestigious international brands in fantasy gaming. His portfolio includes Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, among others. Dungeons & Dragons is one of the biggest role-playing games in the world and to date, over 50 million people on the planet have played it.
An autonomous and distinct studio
In its premises in the Saint-Henri district, Invoke enjoys the autonomy of an independent studio, but with the vast resources provided by belonging to a large global family. “We have our own culture and our own working methods,” explains Dominic Guay, Vice-President and General Manager. We value the autonomy of each member of the team, that each person can express their talent to have the maximum impact on our games. Likewise, we are not just the Montreal division of an international group. We provide the ideas and direction for the universes we design. »
The company is already working on a AAA game – category with the greatest ambitions – derived from the Dungeons & Dragons universe, developed on the Unreal5 engine. Invoke is one of Montreal’s leading studios focusing on AAA fantasy games and the only one in Canada to do so with beloved Wizards of The Coast brands.
“We have the biggest and most popular brand of a fantasy role-playing game in Dungeons & Dragons,” recalls Dominic Guay. Such a brand, with 50 years of history, inspires developers and gives us vast creative freedom. Our niche will be high-quality AAA games, and we will have the means to match our ambitions. »
A growing team
A well-known figure in the industry, Dominic Guay worked for more than 20 years with the giant Ubisoft, where he contributed to several brands such as Splinter Cell and Far Cry. He notably directed the creation of the global success Watch_Dogs.
Invoke currently has 80 employees, a mix of talented young people and veterans who have contributed to many successes in the Montreal industry. The studio has experienced sustained growth in the past year by welcoming several key talents. Dominic Guay, however, wants to grow it to more than 200 employees by 2025 to give itself the means to carry out the planned projects.
“Our mission is to create fantastic games in a positive atmosphere that delight players. This mission is accomplished daily in a context of respect, humility and autonomy, all core values of Invoke.
Waiting to find out what Invoke reserve for us, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is available from €15.99 on Amazon.co.uk.
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