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MONTRÉAL – KRAFTON Inc., a collective of independent game development studios, is proud to announce today the opening of its first Canadian AAA game studio located in Montréal, Quebec. KRAFTON Montréal Studio will be led by Patrik Méthé, a prominent figure in the gaming industry with over 20 years of experience in leadership roles on some of the world’s most renowned franchises.

A team of industry veterans including Benoit Frappier, Producer; Frédéric Duroc, Game Director; and Martin Paradis, Technology Director; has already joined Méthé. The studio is looking to hire 150 people in the next 3 years with key positions including animation, programming and Head of HR.

KRAFTON Montréal Studio’s first project will be the adaptation of the acclaimed fantasy novel series The Bird That Drinks Tears, created and written by Yeong-do Lee, who is widely acknowledged as the pioneer of the Korean fantasy genre. As one of the best-selling fantasy authors in Korea, Mr. Lee is an exceptionally imaginative writer who builds elaborate worlds and fills them with complex characters.

The Bird That Drinks Tears has been loved by readers for the past 20 years for its elaborate worldview and three-dimensional characters. It is characterized by its unique settings and characters that exquisitely encompass the East and West, and it tells the story of four races, humans, Leckorn, Dokkaebis, and Nagas, which begin as they become entangled through events.

Since 2021, KRAFTON has been working on visualizing the world and characters of the novel to expand the IP of The Bird That Drinks Tears. In particular, the art book, prepared in November 2022 to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the serialization of The Bird That Drinks Tears, topped the weekly bestseller list of major Korean Internet bookstores within four days of pre-sale.

“We are thrilled to open our first Canadian AAA studio in Montréal, one of the world’s top cities for video game production. The local pool of creative and specialized talent is impressive, and we hope that many will join our team. KRAFTON Montréal Studio will be our third studio in North America and we have found a great leader in Patrik who has extensive experience bringing franchises to new heights,” explains CH Kim, CEO at KRAFTON, Inc.

“Our team is currently made up of seasoned talents with a proven track record of successful games. We share a common goal: to deliver the finest adaptation of the novel and to provide an exceptional experience to gamers. As a fan of medieval fantasy since my teenage years, I’m excited to bring to life a fantasy masterpiece as an ambitious and memorable game. We couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of the KRAFTON family,” shares Patrik Méthé, Head of Studio, KRAFTON Montréal Studio.