Norway-based MMO developer Funcom has opened a new studio in Montreal, Canada.

Under the leadership of Funcom Montreal CEO Ole Schreiner, the studio will contribute to a number of titles currently in development, including Age Of Conan expansion pack Rise Of The Godslayer and new MMO The Secret World.

“Montreal has established itself as one of the world’s most important locations for videogame production, and we are looking forward to taking part in that success,” said Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “In addition to strengthening our North American presence, the new studio will take advantage of the great incentive programs offered by the Quebec region, incentives that makes Montreal one of the most cost effective locations in the world for developing MMO games. This will in turn allow us to better balance our costs, making it possible for us to continue to expand our investments into the MMO segment.”

Founded in 1993, Funcom currently employs over 320 staff across its offices in Norway, the US, China, and Switzerland. It has developed over 20 titles, but is perhaps best known for its MMO Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, which shipped over 1.2 million copies to retail in 2008.