Rockstar Closes Max Payne 3 Developer – Rockstar Vancouver

Rockstar Games will close down Max Payne 3 developer Rockstar Vancouver, however all employees of the studio will be given the opportunity to join Rockstar Toronto, as Rockstar Games seeks to expand the latter branch.

Barking Dog Studios, Rockstar Vancouver’s first name was acquired by Rockstar Games in 2002. Aside from Max Payne 3, R* Vancouver developed Bully for PS2 and an updated version for Xbox 360 dubbed Bully: Scholarship Edition.

“Expanding Rockstar Toronto and bringing our Canadian development talent together under one roof underscores our commitment to building world-class teams that can make the kind of groundbreaking entertainment experiences Rockstar Games is known for,” said Jennifer Kolbe, vice president of Publishing and Operations for Rockstar Games.

“We believe a single Canadian team will make for a powerful creative force on future projects. We plan to add more than 50 new positions to our combined Canadian team, and are pleased to be entering into this strategic partnership with the Ontario government.”

Ontario politician Brad Duguid added:

“Rockstar Games’ decision to expand its Toronto studio demonstrates the confidence in Ontario’s leading-edge digital gaming industry. By providing financial support and tax incentives to help companies grow, we maximise Ontario’s competitiveness in the global economy and support job creation.”