Invoke Studios

Founding and the World War Machine project

Jeff Hattem established Tuque Games in 2012 after accumulating experience at two of Montreal's largest game studios, Ubisoft and Behaviour Interactive. The company began work on its first major project, a science fiction role-playing game titled World War Machine, in 2014. To ensure a degree of technical plausibility for its futuristic setting, the studio took the unusual step of hiring researchers specializing in nanotechnology and aerospace defence as consultants during pre-production. The game's visual identity was shaped by concept artist Aaron Beck, whose film credits include District 9, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Elysium, while the narrative was crafted by author Daniel H. Wilson, who wrote the novel Robopocalypse. In April 2014, the project gained early validation by becoming the first submission accepted into the Square Enix Collective, a curated platform designed to highlight independent game projects to a wider audience. This acceptance provided the young studio with increased visibility and a stamp of approval from a major industry player during the game's development phase.

Development and release of Livelock

The studio's debut project underwent a name change from World War Machine to Livelock ahead of its commercial release in 2016. Tuque Games secured a publishing partnership with Perfect World Entertainment for the title, which represented Perfect World's first entry into the buy-to-play segment of the PC gaming market. Livelock is a cooperative top-down shooter where players control one of three intelligent Arcologies, which are powerful war machines, battling to reactivate the last global defence system on a decimated Earth. The game's development and release provided the small team with crucial experience in managing a full production cycle, from initial concept through to launch and post-release support. The partnership with Perfect World Entertainment, a publisher more commonly associated with free-to-play models, was a notable aspect of the game's business strategy. Following Livelock's launch, the studio began planning its next project, which would represent a significant shift away from original science fiction intellectual property and toward established fantasy licensing.

Partnership with Wizards of the Coast and acquisition

In early 2017, Tuque Games started developing a video game based on the Dungeons & Dragons property under a partnership agreement with Wizards of the Coast. The development team for this new project was initially very small, consisting of only 12 people working from the Montreal office. The company made a formal public announcement in March 2019 that a Dungeons & Dragons game was in active development, though specific gameplay details and the title were withheld at that time. This acquisition provided the Montreal studio with greater financial resources and integrated it directly into the corporate structure overseeing one of the world's most popular tabletop role-playing games. The newly acquired studio's project was officially unveiled as Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance with a teaser trailer during The Game Awards ceremony on December 12, 2019, just two months after the acquisition was completed.

Launch of Dark Alliance and studio rebranding

The game is a cooperative action role-playing experience for up to four players, featuring characters from author R.A. Salvatore's novels set in the Forgotten Fields, including the drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden. The release represented the culmination of over four years of development work by the studio, which had grown significantly in size since the project's inception with a team of 12. Following the game's launch and the studio's full integration into Wizards of the Coast, the company announced its rebranding from Tuque Games to Invoke Studios in late 2022. The new name reflects concepts common in fantasy gaming and signifies the studio's refreshed identity as a dedicated developer for the Dungeons & Dragons brand under its parent company, moving beyond its original independent identity.

Corporate evolution and position in Montreal

Invoke Studios operates as a first-party development studio within the Wizards of the Coast organization, which is itself a subsidiary of Hasbro. Founder Jeff Hattem has remained at the helm of the studio throughout its transition from an independent startup to an acquired subsidiary and through its subsequent rebranding. The company's headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, situates it within one of the most concentrated video game development clusters in the world, alongside other major studios like Ubisoft Montreal, Warner Bros. Games Montreal, and Behaviour Interactive. This location provides Invoke Studios with access to a deep and experienced talent pool of programmers, artists, designers, and producers familiar with AAA game production pipelines. The studio's acquisition model is part of a larger trend of major intellectual property holders establishing or purchasing dedicated development teams to create video game content for their franchises. As a Canadian studio owned by an American corporation, Invoke Studios contributes to the export of Canadian creative digital services while leveraging the stability and resources of its parent company for future projects.

Notable projects and creative collaborations

The studio's portfolio, though currently focused on two main titles, demonstrates a pattern of collaborating with high-profile external creative talent and securing strategic publishing partnerships. For its first project, the studio engaged film concept artist Aaron Beck and author Daniel H. Wilson to establish a strong artistic and narrative foundation for World War Machine, which later became Livelock. The company's entry into licensed game development began with its early partnership with Wizards of the Coast, which was formalized through the 2019 acquisition. The development of Dark Alliance involved close collaboration with the Dungeons & Dragons team at Wizards to ensure adherence to the property's lore and tone. The studio's journey through different business models, from independent development with Square Enix Collective support to a publisher partnership with Perfect World and finally to first-party ownership, illustrates the varied pathways for game studios in the modern industry. Each phase provided different lessons and resources that shaped the company's capabilities and strategic direction.

• World War Machine / Livelock (2016): Sci-fi cooperative shooter. Featured concept art by Aaron Beck and story by Daniel H. Wilson. Published by Perfect World Entertainment.
• Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance (2021): Cooperative action RPG. Developed in partnership with and later for Wizards of the Coast. Features characters from R.A. Salvatore's novels.
• Square Enix Collective (2014): Platform through which the World War Machine project was first presented, marking the Collective's first accepted submission.
• Perfect World Entertainment Partnership (2016): Publishing deal that resulted in Perfect World's first buy-to-play game release.

Development timeline and key milestones

The history of Invoke Studios can be traced through a series of clear developmental and corporate milestones that define its first decade of operation. The company was founded in 2012 by Jeff Hattem, who leveraged his experience from other Montreal studios to start his own venture. Work began on its first game in 2014, leading to its acceptance by the Square Enix Collective that same year. After a rename and a publishing deal, Livelock was released in 2016, establishing the studio's commercial presence. The shift to Dungeons & Dragons development started in early 2017 with a small team, was announced in 2019, and was followed by the studio's acquisition in October of that year. The official announcement of Dark Alliance came in December 2019, with the game launching in June 2021 after approximately four and a half years of total development. The final major corporate event was the rebranding from Tuque Games to Invoke Studios in late 2022, solidifying its new identity post-acquisition and post-release of its major licensed title. This timeline shows a steady progression from a new independent studio to an integrated part of a major entertainment brand.

Business model transitions and industry context

Invoke Studios has experienced several distinct business models throughout its existence, reflecting broader trends in the video game industry. The studio began as a fully independent developer, funding its initial project and seeking validation through the Square Enix Collective program. For its first release, it adopted a traditional developer-publisher relationship with Perfect World Entertainment, which handled marketing, distribution, and other publishing services for Livelock. The studio's work on Dungeons & Dragons started under a licensing partnership, where Wizards of the Coast granted the rights to use the property in exchange for oversight and likely a share of revenues. This partnership evolved into full acquisition, making the studio a first-party developer owned by the intellectual property holder, a model used by companies like Microsoft and Sony for their internal studios. The rebranding to Invoke Studios completed this transition, signalling to the industry and consumers that the company was now a permanent, branded component of the Wizards of the Coast development ecosystem. This evolution from independence to integration is a common narrative for successful Canadian studios seeking the resources and security to work on large-scale licensed projects.

Questions about Invoke Studios

What is Invoke Studios known for?

Invoke Studios is best known as the Canadian developer behind the 2021 action role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance. The studio, originally named Tuque Games, also developed and released the cooperative sci-fi shooter Livelock in 2016. It gained significant industry attention when it was acquired by Wizards of the Coast, the owner of Dungeons & Dragons, in October 2019. The company rebranded from Tuque Games to Invoke Studios in late 2022 following the release of Dark Alliance and its integration into its parent company.

When was Invoke Studios founded and by whom?

Invoke Studios was founded in 2012 by Jeff Hattem, a video game industry veteran with previous experience at other major Montreal-based studios. Hattem had worked at Ubisoft and Behaviour Interactive before establishing his own independent development company called Tuque Games. The studio operated under that name for its first decade before changing its name to Invoke Studios in late 2022. The founder has remained with the company throughout its history, including through its acquisition by Wizards of the Coast and its subsequent rebranding initiative.

What was the first game released by Invoke Studios?

The first game released by the studio, then known as Tuque Games, was Livelock in 2016. This title was originally developed under the name World War Machine and was the first project accepted through the Square Enix Collective program in 2014. Livelock is a cooperative top-down shooter where players control powerful war machines called Arcologies. It was published by Perfect World Entertainment and marked that publisher's first buy-to-play video game release, representing a departure from its usual free-to-play business model.

Is Invoke Studios owned by Wizards of the Coast?

Yes, Invoke Studios is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast. The acquisition occurred in October 2019, when Wizards of the Coast purchased the studio while it was still named Tuque Games. This purchase happened after the studio had already begun developing a Dungeons & Dragons game in partnership with Wizards starting in early 2017. The acquisition formally integrated the Montreal developer directly into the corporate structure overseeing the Dungeons & Dragons brand, providing it with dedicated funding and a long-term development mandate.

Where is Invoke Studios located?

Invoke Studios is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal is a globally recognized centre for video game development, home to many other major studios like Ubisoft Montreal and Behaviour Interactive. The city provides a rich talent pool and a supportive ecosystem for game production, including specialized post-secondary programs. The studio has maintained its location in Montreal throughout its history, from its founding as an independent developer through its transition into a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, contributing to the local economy and tech sector.

Why did Tuque Games change its name to Invoke Studios?

Tuque Games rebranded to Invoke Studios in late 2022. The company, originally founded in 2012, had developed games like Livelock and Dark Alliance. It was acquired by Wizards of the Coast in October 2019. Following this acquisition, the studio continued its work on Dungeons & Dragons projects. The name change to Invoke Studios represents a new chapter for the developer under its corporate ownership.

Sources and further reading

• Invoke Studios (Wikipedia)
• Invoke Studios: Home (invokestudios.com)
• Invoke Studios: a new name in Triple A video games ... (company.wizards.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-11-02.