Watch Dogs creative director hired for new IP at NetEase Games Montreal

Best known for its influence in the mobile gaming scene, publisher NetEase, has since expanded to PC. Games such as Naraka: Bladepoint have been published by the company and further operations seem to double down on this element, like the establishment of NetEase Games Montreal in Canada. Now, it seems some big talent will be helping out in creating a major new IP in the studio.

According to VGC, Watch Dogs creative director Johnathan Morin will be joining NetEase Games Montreal soon.

What does this mean for NetEase?

Morin has previously worked on all of the Watch Dogs series of open-world action-adventure games for French publisher Ubisoft. Since his work on the new project will be contributing towards a new IP, it should be exciting for him as a developer, and also for gamers to see what new experiences are brought to the table. Given his portfolio, fans could likely expect to witness something really big, and perhaps something even the publisher has never before put out there.

This is just one of many big steps taken by NetEase. Last month, developer Quantic Dream confirmed that they are joining the Chinese company's catalog of teams. Ex-Capcom employee Hiroyuki Kobayashi also joined the Identity V and Cyber Hunter publisher; he previously worked as a producer for various Resident Evil games, as well as the Sengoku Basra hack & slash series.

Another Ubisoft veteran, Emile Liang, has also joined the family, having been a producer for the Assassin's Creed and Far Cry series in the past.

All in all, there is some serious talent onboard. Whether or not this will translate well for the development of games remains to be seen.

What else is NetEase known for?

The company is primarily associated with smartphone games. These include Sky: Children of the Light, which was developed by Thatgamecompany - who are known for PlayStation 3 classics including Journey and Flower.

Naraka: Bladepoint, the online melee multiplayer game, also deserves a mention. They have also dabbled in bigger IPs, like being the Chinese publisher for the controversial Diablo Immortal, and are responsible for many upcoming mobile games including The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War and Harry Potter: Magic Awakened.

About the author

Siddharth is an esports and gaming writer at Sportkseeda. With nearly 10 years of experience in the industry, he also contributed to renowned publications like Gameffine (formerly IndianNoob), the British retro FPS magazine E1M1, and Gaming Purists, the latter being a passion project which he founded with friends.

Holding a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Siddharth's journalistic pursuits extend beyond reporting; he throws himself into the heart of gaming communities. His positive exploits in the industry have led him to interviewing Rohit Jain, a prominent Tekken 7 player from India.

Though he currently specializes in Nintendo, Overwatch 2, and RPG coverage, Siddharth's expertise spans a multitude of platforms and genres. He believes in doing extensive research across a mix of official, community-driven and diverse media sources for all of his article categories.

Siddharth has been an avid follower of Pewdiepie, which has also helped him expand his horizons to new gaming genres and titles. Beyond gaming, he indulges his love for literature with a particular fondness for horror and thriller novels. Moreover, Siddharth’s culinary enthusiasm for global cuisine enriches his palate.

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