In May, Canada's answer to MTV broke a major piece of gaming news. Speaking to cable network MuchMusic, Eidos France director general Patrick Melichor let slip that the British publisher was opening a new studio in game-industry hub Montreal. More tantalizingly, the revealed new shop would exclusively be focused on a third entry in the acclaimed Deus Ex series. The franchise was presumed dead following the shuttering of Ion Storm in 2005 and renaming of Deus Ex: Clan Wars.

　　Initially, Eidos reps would not comment on Melichor's faux pas, giving press inquiries the silent treatment. Today, though, the company proudly announced the official opening of Eidos Montreal in the heart of the titular Quebecois metropolis. The shop is slated to employ 100 staffers by the end of the year and expand to 350 by 2009.

　　For the moment Eidos Montreal sole project is--surpriseaccompanied by a cryptic voice-over monologue on humanity realizing its future potential--can be seen on the official Eidos Montreal Web site. The site also has a bit of shadowy concept art for the game, which is equally mysterious when artificially lightened (pictured).