Publisher THQ today officially announced that it has opened an all-new development studio based in Montreal, Quebec. Beginning summer 2011, former Assassin’s Creed creative director Patrice Désilets will join ranks with the studio as part of an exclusive arrangement.

Having left Ubisoft in June to take a “creative break,” Désilets served as the creative force behind the original Assassin’s Creed and its sequel. At THQ, Désilets responsibilities will include hiring talent to develop new intellectual properties.

THQ calls the move a bold step forward in “strengthen its internal creative development expertise.”

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