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Studio Onoma

Games & Interactive
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Founded
2011
Employees
N/A
Offices
1

About Studio Onoma

Studio Onoma was a Canadian video game development studio established in November 2011 as Square Enix Montréal. Its work focused on smartphone and tablet games, spanning premium puzzle experiences, action games and free-to-play releases. The studio became particularly associated with adapting established game franchises to touchscreen play before closing in November 2022.

Originally founded to develop high-budget console games, the studio began with plans for a new Hitman title. A strategic review in 2013 redirected its development toward mobile platforms. That change shaped a portfolio built around compact game mechanics and interpretations of familiar characters and worlds suited to phones and tablets.

Mobile development

The studio created the GO puzzle series: Hitman GO in 2014, Lara Croft GO in 2015 and Deus Ex GO in 2016. These games translated console properties into turn-based, diorama-style puzzles. Alongside that work, it developed Hitman: Sniper, released in 2015, extending its mobile portfolio into shooting and action gameplay.

After 2016, the studio increasingly pursued free-to-play development and live operations. Its later work included Hitman Sniper: The Shadows, Arena Battle Champions and the augmented-reality project Space Invaders: Hidden Heroes. Its capabilities encompassed game design, engineering, prototyping, creative direction, quality assurance and ongoing mobile game operations.

Ownership and final years

Square Enix sold the studio to Embracer Group in a transaction completed on August 26, 2022. Operating within CDE Entertainment, it adopted the Studio Onoma name in October 2022. The rebrand followed more than a decade of development under its original identity.

On November 1, 2022, Embracer and CDE Entertainment announced the studio’s shutdown as resources shifted toward AAA PC and console development elsewhere in the group. Some employees transferred to Eidos-Montréal. Several of Onoma’s mobile games subsequently ended service on January 4, 2023.

More about Studio Onoma

Historical leadership

  • Lee Singleton, previously general manager of Square Enix London Studios, led the studio at its establishment in 2011.
  • Patrick Naud subsequently headed the studio during its mobile-development period and also led the London Mobile unit established in 2021. These are historical roles.

Development collaborations

The initial console-era Hitman project was planned alongside Denmark-based IO Interactive. The later Space Invaders mobile project was developed with Taito.

Brand development

The Onoma identity followed five months of planning. Its name came from the Greek word for “name.”

Notable credits

7 credits
  • Hitman GO
  • Hitman: Sniper
  • Lara Croft GO
  • Deus Ex GO
  • Hitman Sniper: The Shadows
  • Arena Battle Champions
  • Space Invaders: Hidden Heroes

Offices

Current and former locations of Studio Onoma

2 locations

  • London office

    London, England, United Kingdom

  • Montreal offices

    Former office
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Closed 2022

    About this office

    **Montreal Headquarters & Main Studio** Status: inactive / historical Headquarters Address: 2001 McGill College Avenue, Suite 1600, Montreal, QC H3A 1G1 Closed: 2022 Historical headquarters and primary development studio; closed in November 2022. --- **Office** Status: inactive / historical Address: 400 De Maisonneuve Boulevard West, 6th Floor, Montreal, QC H3A 1L4 Closed: 2022 Historical corporate registered office of Eidos Interactive Corp., the reported legal operator of Square Enix Montréal. Also identified separately as an Eidos-Montréal location.

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