Venerable Japanese dev CyberConnect 2 expands to Montreal

Japanese game developer CyberConnect 2 (Asura's Wrath [pictured], Solatorobo: Red the Hunter) has confirmed this week that it plans to expand to Canada by opening a new studio in Montreal.

This is CyberConnect 2's first Western studio. It's a notable expansion for the venerable company, which has been working both alone and in partnership with others on games and movies since it was established in 1996 as CyberConnect.

While the studio is perhaps best known for the .hack and Naruto Shippuden games, the company was recently tapped to contribute to Square Enix's multi-part UE4 remake of its fan-favorite RPG Final Fantasy VII.

In a recent interview with Famitsu (translated and excerpted from its original Japanese by Siliconera) CyberConnect 2 chief Hiroshi Matsuyama noted the new Montreal location is a full development studio that will contribute to the company's projects in development, which also include original games.