The developer behind the popular free-to-play open-world game Genshin Impact, MiHiYo, has opened up a new studio based out of Montreal Canada. According to the Chinese developer, this studio will become their first development site located in North America and is intended to sever as a hub for both development and research.
Writing on Linkedin, MiHiYo expressed their desire to build a team of 100 members over the next two years, and that these recruits will work with their peers from around the globe on a new AAA game. That AAA game will be an open-world shooter set “within a living, breathing paranormal world.”
MiHiYo was founded by three University students with a love for anime. While the studio made several games including Honkai Impact 3rd and Tears of Themis they are best known for Genshin Impact which has done incredibly well since it first launched. The game draws inspiration from the Nintendo Switch launch title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild with more anime elements.
Recently this developer has also partnered with Chinese Holding Company Tencent who has also been making strong pushes into the North American market. Which China passed multiple laws limiting video game consumption, as well as cracking down on several developers, many in the company have been looking to gain footholds outside with the core regions being that of North America as well as Japan.
On the front Tencent owned studio TiMi recently announced their first AAA title, Honor of Kings: World. The game is also designed to help both companies bridge the North American market, something that the Honor of Kings MOBA, which has enjoyed success in the rest of the world, had failed to do.
It will be interesting to see what this new studio from MiHiYo manages to deliver when the time comes.
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