Media reports suggest Square Enix is finalizing negotiations with the Quebec government to fund an expansion that will more than double the size of its Eidos Montreal studio to 680 employees. The report from French Canadian newspaper La Presse Affaires suggests the company has been seeking CDN 2 million ($2.05 million) of government investment since the beginning of the year to make the planned expansion a reality. The company has reportedly reached a tentative agreement with the Quebec government, which would require the creation of 100 new jobs for the company by the end of 2012, and 250 more new positions by the end of 2015. Square Enix reportedly decided to expand the 330-employee Deus Ex: Human Revolution development house, rather than create a new studio in Ontario or British Columbia, thanks in part to Quebec's generous tax credits, which cover nearly 40 percent of production costs. The expansion would make Square Enix Montreal's third-largest game developer, behind Ubisoft's 2100 local employees and EA's 800 Montreal workers. Eidos Montreal was established in 2007 with former Ubisoft exec Stephane D'Astous at the helm. In a Gamasutra interview at that time, D'Astous said he didn't want the studio to "be a jack of all trades," but rather the best studio for "developing AAA next-gen titles with smaller teams and longer production schedules." A Square Enix spokesperson said the company had no comment on the report.
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