The Israeli giant of free mobile games Playtika will close its Montreal studio on July 1, which should cause the loss of 88 jobs, learned Le Journal.
“As part of its ongoing efforts to optimize performance and align the business with the current environment, Playtika has consolidated some of its operations, which has resulted in the closure of our operations in markets such as Los Angeles, Montreal and London,” company spokesman Marc Cohen confirmed to the Journal.
No less than 88 job losses
According to the layoff notice from the Ministry of Labour, the Playtika studio located on rue de la Gauchetière Ouest will lay off its 88 employees on Canada Day.
In total, in North America, more than 250 workers will be laid off in this wave, reports the Israeli media Globes.
Sold for $4.4 billion in 2016
In 2016, Caesars Interactive Entertainment, headed by Quebecer Mitch Garber, sold its online gaming division Playtika for US$4.4 billion.
At the time, the buyer was a Chinese consortium with Yunfeng Capital, a firm of Alibaba founder Jack Ma, and game developer Shanghai Giant Network Technology Co.
Today, Playtika has over 4,000 employees. Some 34 million people play its games every month, such as Best Friends or Bingo Blitz.
Generous tax credits
Remember that Quebec has one of the most advantageous tax credits for the video game industry in the world, according to Montreal International.
“The tax credit can reach 37.5% of eligible expenses if the multimedia title is available in French. If the title is not available in French upon its release, the credit rate is at most 30%, ”notes the organization.
