Following its acquisition by Embracer Group and an extensive rebrand, former Square Enix studio was announced to be closing its doors, three weeks after its rebranding. Onoma, formerly known as Square Enix Montreal, was a part of the many acquisitions Embracer Group was a part of this year with franchises like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Legacy of Kain. While under Square Enix they were known for their work in mobile games, primarily their puzzle game series Go. The move by Embracer Group was announced to employees earlier today and the decision is stated to affect the lives of around 200 employees of the studio. According to Bloomberg, while some employees will be transferred to their sister studio Eidos Montreal, it’s unknown how many will be left without jobs.
The sudden move by Embracer Group appears to be apart of a cost-cutting initiative. Apparently, the company is stepping away from mobile content to focus primarily on PC and console titles. Alongside shutting down Onoma, it’s sister studio Eidos Montreal has reportedly gone under some changes.
Bloomberg reported that their recently rumored Stranger Things-inspired game was canceled. Eidos Montreal is now reportedly working on a recently rescoped new IP and a new title within the Deus Ex franchise that is in the early stages of development. Most importantly, it was reported that Eidos Montreal would be collaborating with Microsoft to help develop some of their upcoming games including the Fable franchise however it is unlikely that they will be helping in the development of the hotly anticipated Fable 4.