Major Update: According to TVA Nouvelles, the situation at Ubisoft Montreal's offices was a swatting-style hoax. Nobody was injured, although Ubisoft employees barricaded on the roof and in conference rooms were not aware of there was no threat. Police have opened an investigation in order to find the person who sent the threatening call that set off the crisis. We'll keep you updated as more details emerge.
No threat has been identified for now. We are currently evacuating the building. #SPVM https://t.co/7g7eHU2B1T
— Police Montréal (@SPVM) November 13, 2020
Ubisoft has issued the following statement regarding the incident...
The entire Ubisoft community in Montreal, in Quebec and around the world is overwhelmed by the events we experienced today and, above all, relieved by their outcome.
Original story and updates: A frightening situation is unfolding at Ubisoft’s headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. According to local Montreal news sources Le Journal de Montreal and TVA Nouvelles, possibly dozens of people are being held hostage in the building housing Ubisoft Montreal at the corner of St. Laurent and St. Viateur streets. Montreal Police have confirmed an operation is ongoing in the area.
There is an ongoing police operation at the corner of Saint-Laurent and St-Viateur. We ask people to avoid the area. The #SPVM is currently validating information and more details will follow. pic.twitter.com/44PjWzsCOh
— Police Montréal (@SPVM) November 13, 2020
Amateur video shot at the scene shows armored police setting up a perimeter around the Ubisoft Montreal offices. Helicopter news footage shows a number of people have barricaded themselves on the Ubisoft Montreal roof. There are unconfirmed reports of others barricading themselves in conference rooms.
This is happening right now near @UbisoftMTL - @CBCMontreal @CBCTheNational @CTVMontreal @CTVNews @Global_Montreal @LP_LaPresse @LeDevoir pic.twitter.com/ZxiJrAkkbm
— Paul Desbaillets (@pauldesbaillets) November 13, 2020
EN DIRECT | Opération policière: l'hélicoptère TVA Nouvelles survole le secteur https://t.co/Oj4yEp0wcJ pic.twitter.com/o3iNBl7D1R
— TVA nouvelles (@tvanouvelles) November 13, 2020
There is no word yet on who might be responsible for the hostage situation, but TVA Nouvelles describes a “group” of suspects and says a ransom demand has been made, so it seems like this isn’t a lone-gunman-style scenario. Montreal Police tactical teams continue to arrive on the scene.
We’ll keep you updated as this story develops and sincerely wish for a quick and safe resolution to the situation.
Update 1: According to CBC News, this situation may have been sparked by an armed robbery...
Police have told Radio-Canada's Kim Vermette that the operation near the Ubisoft building in Montreal seems to be related to an armed robbery.
— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) November 13, 2020
Update 2: Thankfully, Montreal Police say no injuries have been reported.
Officers have been sent to the location following a 911 call. Specialized #SPVM officers are on site inspecting the premises. There are no injuries reported. https://t.co/omrH0sYHbQ
— Police Montréal (@SPVM) November 13, 2020
Update 3: Ubisoft has commented on the situation via Jason Schreier, saying they are "aware of the situation and working with local authorities."
Clearly something scary happening at Ubisoft Montreal, but be wary of misinformation on Twitter. Employees tell Bloomberg they've received security instructions but don't know what happened. Ubisoft PR says: "We are aware of the situation and working with local authorities."
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) November 13, 2020
Update 4: There is some indication this may be some type of swatting-style hoax, but Montreal Police have not confirmed that.
Update 5: Some Ubisoft employees are being evacuated from the building.
OPÉRATION POLICIÈRE CHEZ UBISOFT | Des gens commencent à évacuer le bâtiment. Des dizaines de personnes sont vues accompagnées des policiers. Le tout se passe dans le calme. https://t.co/wrwYBoebWN pic.twitter.com/HqQ6376e2P
— TVA nouvelles (@tvanouvelles) November 13, 2020
About the author: Professional writer of trivial things. Nathan has been covering games, entertainment, and online culture for over a decade with bylines at IGN, GameSpy, Cracked, Uproxx, ComicBook, and more. Joined Wccftech gaming team in 2017, and has written hundreds of game reviews and thousands of news stories since.
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