Eidos-Montréal

Eidos-Montréal is a Canadian video game developer based in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 2007 as part of the Eidos Interactive group. The studio built its reputation on the Deus Ex revival and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy before being sold by Square Enix to Embracer Group in May 2022 for $300 million as part of a larger deal that included Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix Montreal. Since the acquisition, Eidos-Montréal has faced three consecutive years of significant layoffs as Embracer restructured following a failed major investment deal, with the studio’s long-time Head of Studio David Anfossi departing in March 2026 after 13 years.

Founding and the Deus Ex Revival

Eidos-Montréal was established in 2007 by Stephane D’Astous, with David Anfossi joining early as a key leader. The studio’s first major project was Deus Ex: Human Revolution, released in August 2011 as a prequel to the original Ion Storm series. It received strong critical reviews for its cyberpunk world-building, augmentation mechanics, and player choice systems, and is widely considered among the best games of that generation. The sequel, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, released in August 2016 and was received more cautiously, with criticism of its episodic structure and aggressive microtransaction elements despite strong gameplay. A third Deus Ex entry was reportedly in development under Embracer before being cancelled in January 2024 as part of the broader restructuring.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Thief

Alongside the Deus Ex work, Eidos-Montréal developed Thief in 2014, a reboot of the Looking Glass Studios stealth series that received mixed reviews. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, co-developed with Crystal Dynamics and released in September 2018, was the studio’s other major franchise contribution. It completed Lara Croft’s origin story arc begun in the 2013 reboot and received solid if not exceptional reviews compared to its predecessors.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, released in October 2021 and published by Square Enix, was the studio’s most unexpected success. A single-player narrative action game that cast the player as Star-Lord while the other Guardians operated as AI companions, it received strong critical reviews for its writing, humor, and character work. It underperformed commercially against Square Enix’s expectations, which contributed to the company’s decision to divest its western studios the following year. The game’s reputation has grown since release and it is now widely regarded as one of the better Marvel games made.

Embracer Acquisition and Restructuring

Embracer Group acquired Eidos-Montréal, Crystal Dynamics, Square Enix Montreal, and major IP including Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, Thief, and Legacy of Kain from Square Enix in May 2022 for $300 million. The deal collapsed in its ambitions when a major external investment agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group fell through in 2023, triggering a company-wide restructuring across Embracer’s portfolio. Eidos-Montréal was caught in three consecutive years of layoffs. In January 2024, 97 employees were let go and a new Deus Ex project was cancelled. In early 2025, a further 75 roles were cut. In March 2026, 124 more employees were laid off and David Anfossi, who had led the studio for 13 years across Deus Ex, Guardians of the Galaxy, and multiple support projects, departed. The studio’s current headcount and active projects have not been publicly confirmed. Eidos-Montréal contributed support work to several Embracer and Xbox projects, including the Fable reboot, during the restructuring period.