Mobile game studios in Canada, and what the provinces pay
Canada has 19 mobile studios in this directory, spread almost evenly between Vancouver and Toronto with a smaller Montreal group. Kabam is the largest at about 810 staff. Where a Canadian studio sits is largely a tax decision, because the interactive media credits are provincial and they differ sharply.
Türkiye refunds half of what a software company or game studio spends on advertising, app store commissions and hosting when it sells to customers abroad, and up to 70% when those customers are in one of twenty target markets. It is paid in cash, against invoices you have already settled. Try it with your own numbers.
01Where are the 19 studios in Canada?
19 in total. 10 of them are in Vancouver and Toronto, which have their own directories, and the 9 listed underneath are everywhere else in Canada.
| Studio | City | Founded | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| LudiaAn independent mobile game development company based in Montreal, Canada, founded in 2007. | Montreal | 2007 | 270 |
| Budge StudiosA leading game development and publishing studio based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. | Montreal | 2010 | 130 |
| Big Blue BubbleA Canadian video game developer based in London, Ontario. | London | 2004 | 120 |
| Hyper Hippo EntertainmentA Canadian mobile game studio founded in 2012, known for its innovative approach to the… | Kelowna | 2012 | 65 |
| Blastworks Inc.A video game company based in Victoria, BC, founded in 2015. | Victoria | 2015 | 37 |
| PLAYSPORT GAMES LTD | Surrey | n/a | 18 |
| Extra Dimension GamesWe're non-crypto, with collaborative bossless culture, remote-first, started in Canada by 3 technical founders with 38… | Waterloo | 2018 | 18 |
| NoodlecakeAn independent game developer and publisher based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. | Saskatoon | 2011 | 17 |
| Kano GamesPlay thousands of Free Addicting Games Online at Kano Games! We have the best selection of bike games, battle games,… | n/a | n/a |
Headcounts are third-party estimates and companies count staff differently. Apollo company data, exported 20 August 2026
02Why do studios base themselves in Canada?
What keeps them there
- Provincial interactive digital media credits, which reimburse a share of eligible labour and are the main reason studios cluster in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
- A large pool of experienced console and mobile developers, built up over thirty years of studios operating there.
- Time zone overlap with both Europe and Asia from Vancouver, which matters for live operations teams.
- Immigration routes that are simpler than most, so hiring internationally is realistic.
| Federal corporate income tax | 15% on general active business incomesource |
|---|---|
| Combined federal and provincial rate | Roughly 23% to 26% depending on the provincesource |
Canada's support is generous and narrowly aimed. The provincial credits reimburse labour, which suits a work-for-hire or console studio with a big team and a long production cycle.
A mobile studio has a different shape. Its team may be twenty people while its media buying runs into the millions, and no Canadian programme reaches that side of the budget. Which is why a Canadian studio buying installs abroad often gets more back from a Turkish structure than from its own province.
What Türkiye would pay back on your spending
Türkiye runs a government programme that refunds part of what a software company or game studio spends on reaching customers abroad. It covers advertising, app store and platform commissions, and hosting. The refund is paid in cash against invoices the company has already settled, so it does not depend on the company making a profit. The standard rate is 50%, and it rises to 70% when the customers being targeted are in one of the twenty countries on the Turkish Ministry of Trade's target list.
Put your own yearly figures in below. The rates and the annual caps come from the same file as our full calculator, and the total updates as you type.
03Questions we get asked
Which province pays the most?
It depends on your labour mix and whether you qualify as an interactive digital media producer. British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec all run credits and the rates and eligibility rules differ, so it is worth modelling rather than assuming.
Do the credits cover contractors?
Generally they favour employees on payroll in the province. Contractor and offshore costs are usually excluded or restricted.
Can a Canadian studio claim in Türkiye as well?
Yes, through a Turkish company that holds the relevant contracts. The Canadian entity and its provincial credits are unaffected.
Why a consultancy keeps a studio directory
CyberScope Solutions is an Istanbul consultancy that manages Türkiye's IT export incentive claims for software companies and game studios. We track where studios are because the question we are asked most often is who else has done this, and a list is a better answer than an assurance.
- Every figure is sourced. Each number links to the page it came from and carries the date we last checked it.
- We do the filing. Claims run through DYS, the ministry's own system, and we handle the evidence pack, the deadlines and the follow-up questions.
- You find out early if it is not for you. The first call is thirty minutes and we will say plainly if your spend pattern does not suit the programme.
Turn that number into money
Send us the rough shape of your spend. You get back what it is worth, what setting it up involves, and how fast the first claim can go in. Companies already operating here treat this as routine, and the six month window means the clock is running on invoices you have already paid.
- A reply from a person within one working day
- No mailing list, no drip sequence
- Thirty minutes, and you keep the numbers either way
Got it.
We will read it properly and reply within a working day. If you would rather get it over with now, pick a time that suits you.
Book a 30 minute call04Where these numbers come from
- https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/canada/corporate/taxes-on-corporate-income checked 2026-08-20
- Apollo company data, exported 20 August 2026 checked 2026-08-20