Ubisoft Montréal evacuated after 911 'hostage' call; police confirms it as hoax

Montreal police evacuated the offices of video game developer Ubisoft Montreal on Friday in response to a 911 call about "a hostage situation" at the location. However, after entering the building, police found no hostage situation, and no one was injured. An investigation has been launched into the origin of the report.

Taking to Twitter, the police apprised about their operation which included the deployment of tactical units.

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'Specialized officers were sent'

The operation began in the early afternoon and photos and live footage showed heavily-armed police outside of Ubisoft Montreal's office, giving way to speculation on social media. More than a dozen heavily armed members of a police tactical squad entered the Ubisoft building around 3 p.m. Taking to Twitter, the police also said that "specialized" officers were sent to a location that corresponds with the company's address.

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Furthermore, the station also posted images that reportedly show a large number Ubisoft employees on the building roof. As per international media, a spokesman for Ubisoft said the company was aware of the situation and was working with local authorities. Following the events, Ubisoft Montreal took to Twitter to express their gratitude to the police’s “quick and professional” response.

Ubisoft makes games like Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance and has around 17,000 employees at 55 studios around the world.

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