A few moments ago, we informed our team that we are refocusing our efforts as we enter a new phase of development. The changes resulting from this transition are necessary for us to efficiently deliver on our most pressing objectives while guaranteeing that every member of our team can meaningfully contribute to our ongoing projects.
In the spirit of full transparency, we want to share what this means for our colleagues, our games, the worlds our products unfold in, as well as what everyone can expect moving forward.
For most of our studio’s history, we have been fortunate enough not to have to make changes like this. Today’s announcement isn’t driven by commercial success or external pressures, but stems instead from our current reality, which is that at this time, we cannot guarantee tangible work for all of the talented individuals we employ.
With the recent release of Unknown 9: Awakening and our two key production lines entering the early stages of development, we must make sure that our staff is laser-focused on contributing to the projects that wholly benefit from their skillsets.
As such, we are reducing our team by approximately 18% of Reflector’s total workforce, a decision that impacts people who aren’t assigned to roles that our active projects require.
This change affects our colleagues, our friends, and their families, and we are doing all that we can to help them through this difficult time, providing them with severance packages as well as access to medical, emotional, and career planning support.
We know that the community we’ve built over the years cares deeply about the people who bring our games to life. Our goal is to assist the affected individuals with the respect and support they deserve.
As you can imagine, this is a trying time for us all, but we are committed to learning from this experience.
The Road Ahead
This shift will allow us to take the necessary time to refine our processes and perfect our upcoming projects so that we can deliver experiences that are both meaningful and memorable for players.
While change is never easy, it allows for meaningful reflection. We’ve learned a lot from our journey so far, including the challenges that come with growth. As we move forward, we are committed to applying these lessons to build a stronger, more focused future.
We are grateful for your ongoing support. Your interest keeps us grounded and reminds us why we do what we do.
Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe are thrilled to announce the worldwide release of Unknown 9: Awakening.
It’s a momentous day for our Montreal studio as we proudly announce the worldwide launch of our very first video game, Unknown 9: Awakening!
After countless hours of ideating, collaborating, creating, testing, and adjusting, to say we’re excited for you to step into Haroona’s shoes and join her quest is an understatement.
Our heroine is ready to step into the unknown and fulfil her destiny. Are you? Watch the action-adventure game’s cinematic launch trailer and learn more about Reflector’s journey to launch.
The Road to Release
From the initial concept to the final polish, our journey has been filled with challenges and successes, fruitful collaborations, and valuable takeaways, all fueled by our passion for telling great stories and developing creative gameplay experiences.
The rise of Unknown 9: Awakening
What started as an idea to create something more than a game has since transformed into the development of a fully loaded narrative universe!
From the outset, we wanted to tell a story full of mystery and adventure about humanity’s evolution; a tale that would instill hope, possibility, and a sense of wonder into people’s lives.
To do so, our teams worked diligently to establish an iron-clad mythology that would guide our world-building efforts, fuel our game and its world’s rich lore, and ensure we remained true to our initial intentions from start to finish.
From a development perspective, it was important to devise mechanics that were both unique and, of course, fun to play around with. With Unknown 9: Awakening, it all started with Haroona’s “stepping” ability, which became the foundation for the combat system’s other elements, all of which were designed to give players agency in devising their own unique strategies to progress through the game.
The creation of the Unknown 9 narrative universe
As the game’s technical and narrative development picked up speed, so did the creation of the larger universe’s many other stories.
Our goal has always been to create worlds made up of overlapping adventures, each one connected in some way to the next and tailored to fit a specific medium. After all, we’re game developers and transmedia storytellers!
To create a seamless transmedia experience for Unknown 9, our narrative designers and game developers worked closely together to identify the key lore, gameplay, and story elements to carry over from one medium to the next.
The result has since taken the form of a narrative-driven action-adventure game that launches players into a universe riddled with crossovers, callbacks, and Easter eggs!
Key Collaborations
While collaboration across Reflector’s teams was vital to bringing our game and transmedia experience to life, we also had a chance to partner with incredible talent that only served to bolster the experiences we were crafting.
The talented Anya Chalotra portrays Unknown 9: Awakening heroine Haroona, in her first video game role. Having had a chance to work with such a strong and inspiring woman to bring our heroine to life was incredible, to say the least.
Another inspiring artist we worked with was American singer songwriter BANKS, who co-produced Unknown 9’s official theme song in collaboration with Reflector’s audio and narrative teams.
Available on all major streaming platforms, the track is also featured on Unknown 9: Awakening’s Official Soundtrack.
About the Game
Unknown 9: Awakening is our Montreal game studio’s first narrative-driven action-adventure game. Its story centres on Haroona, a powerful young Quaestor whose connection to a mysterious dimension called the Fold gifts her unique Umbric abilities.
After witnessing the fall of her beloved mentor at the hands of Vincent Lichter, she sets off to exact revenge on him and his army of Ascendants, a splinter faction of the Leap Year Society who want to use the Fold to usher in a new era for humanity.
As Haroona’s journey progresses, she learns to master her Fold-powered abilities, finds allies in the Leap Year Society, and fights to prevent the world’s long-lost knowledge—powerful secrets said to be guarded by the Unknown 9—from falling into the wrong hands.
The game is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
A Look Ahead as we Work to Develop Other IP
The launch of Awakening marks the end of a very important chapter in our video game development company’s continued evolution. And the best part is, this is just the beginning!
While the Unknown 9 universe continues to expand in the coming months through the extension of existing stories and the addition of new adventures, we’re also currently developing an all-new experience for a popular Bandai Namco brand!
To bring our next video game to life, we’re looking to fill positions within our animation, level design, game design, and art teams. If you’re interested in joining us and contributing to the development of a great IP, check out our open positions and learn why should join our video game development studio.
Those of us who work at Reflector Entertainment like to think of our studio as more than a Montreal-based video game development company. We consider ourselves universe builders who create entertainment experiences that extend beyond the world of gaming!
Yes, we’re on the brink of delivering our very first action-adventure game on October 18, 2024, but did you know that Unknown 9: Awakening is one of many stories belonging to a sprawling transmedia experience?
Check out our Narrative Universe Trailer in which video game heroine Haroona gives a nod to Unknown 9’s other Quaestors who, just like her, are brave enough to Step into the unknown to unearth answers to humankind’s most obscure mysteries.
Reflector Entertainment’s Transmedia Recipe
Transmedia is a storytelling approach that takes a single story and tells it across different media formats and platforms. Each part of the story (including the format in which it unfolds) makes a unique contribution to the overall entertainment experience.
Unknown 9’s transmedia recipe involves many different stories told across a variety of entertainment mediums, all of which unfold within a single narrative universe. Each adventure can be enjoyed on its own, but consuming them all reveals an overarching tale…a larger narrative that links Unknown 9’s events, people, and phenomena together.
“Reflector’s innovation on the usual transmedia formula is simple but profound: every product is an entry point, each one onboards the audience into the universe in its own unique way, which means there is no wrong order to experience our stories.” – Christopher Masson, Story Architect
Connecting the Dots
The characters our stories follow (known as Quaestors) come from different places, backgrounds, even eras, but share similar goals that require them to unearth forgotten truths about our collective past and present, as well as their impact on our future.
Not only do these characters’ journeys expose them to a mysterious dimension called the Fold, but their quests also launch them on a collision course with powerful secret societies whose century-old feud find its way into every Unknown 9 story. What’s more, much of the hidden knowledge being sought out is said to be guarded by the infamous Unknown 9, who choose to reveal themselves in subtle ways across each adventure.
These are just a few of the narrative threads woven into each Unknown 9 tale. The more adventures you follow, the more links, crossovers, and Easter eggs there are to discover, and the more likely you are to revisit a product to confirm the connections you make.
The end result is an ongoing entertainment experience that not only expands with every new story added, but one that can be revisited again and again.
What’s your entry point into the Unknown 9 universe?
The events of the Unknown 9: Awakening video game are the first to unfold within the narrative universe, making it a great gateway into the world of Unknown 9.
Those who begin their journey with the video game will get to extend their Unknown 9 experience through the many overlapping themes, character crossovers, lore links, and interconnections embedded within the universe’s other adventures!
That said, with one month to go until Awakening’s release on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, there’s no better time to dive into the stories out now. And the best part is that most are available for free!
Visit Unknown9.com to get a feel for Reflector’s unique storytelling approach. Check out Issue #1 of the Unknown 9: Torment comics, Season 1 of the Unknown 9: Out of Sight podcast, and the first two installments of the Unknown 9: Genesis trilogy to start putting the pieces of a larger narrative puzzle together!
Spoiler alert: Many of these adventures will continue to evolve, and brand-new ones are slated for release later this fall. Keep your eyes peeled for updates coming soon!
If you prefer sticking to a chronological order of events, check out the free single-issue comic book, Unknown 9: Echoes—a prelude that was written, drawn, and designed by awesome Reflectorian creators!
Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco Europe announce Unknown 9: Awakening’s release date alongside a Live-Action Trailer today at Gamescom.
Exciting news! Unknown 9: Awakening officially launches on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on October 18, 2024, with pre-orders available now. The announcement marks yet another major milestone in our video game studio’s history.
Here’s a recap of everything that was revealed today!
Unknown 9: Awakening’s new Live-Action Trailer
Anya Chalotra takes centre stage once again in the latest trailer, which premiered today during Opening Night Live. It underscores heroine Haroona’s readiness to awaken her powers and embark on her quest into the unknown. It also offers a preview of the video game’s official theme song, A Light Lies Within, which pays homage to our protagonist’s journey to Umbric greatness!
Pre-orders now open
As of today, players can pre-order the various editions of the game and score a bonus cosmetic DLC pack. Depending on the edition selected, it’s also possible to unlock up to three additional cosmetic DLCs as well as collectors’ items!  
Players can choose from the following editions:
Pre-Order Edition:
Includes the base game and a pre-order bonus cosmetic DLC.
Deluxe Digital Edition:
Includes the base game, pre-order bonus, as well as three additional DLCs.
Collector’s Edition:
Includes the base game, pre-order bonus cosmetic DLC, and collector’s items.
The Collector’s Edition, which is exclusively sold in the Bandai Namco Store, includes replicas of Reika’s amulet, a LYS membership coin, a Quaestor’s journal containing exclusive artwork along with hidden links to the larger Unknown 9 universe, and more!  
For additional information about preorders and DLCs as well as the latest Unknown 9: Awakening developments, head over to the official game page! Those curious about what the rest of our narrative universe has to offer, be sure to visit Unknown9.com.  
Join our next major production!
As Unknown 9: Awakening’s release date looms closer, our Montreal-based team is hard at work developing the next major Reflector x Bandai Namco project.
If contributing to the expansion of a beloved IP sounds interesting to you, check out our open positions and apply today!
Reflector and Bandai Namco Europe reveal Unknown 9: Awakening Story Trailer at Summer Game Fest.
A loved one lost, a former pupil gone rogue, and new motives exposed—these are just a few of the details brought to light in the trailer that premiered today.
If you missed our appearance at Summer Game Fest, here’s what you need to know about the latest narrative details revealed about Unknown 9: Awakening.
A closer look at Unknown 9: Awakening
Set to release this fall, the game centres on Haroona, a tenacious young woman seeking revenge upon those who’ve done her wrong. Played by Anya Chalotra, Haroona isn’t your average adventurer. As curious as she is resourceful, her connection to the Fold gifts her incredible powers (Umbric abilities) that players can wield against whoever stands in their way.
While those who caught the Announcement Trailer premiere in March got a peek at some of the gameplay, Awakening’s Story Trailer dives deeper into the game’s narrative elements.
Viewers will discover Haroona’s motivations, spot new characters, and glean additional intel on the enigmatic figures at the heart of our universe’s many adventures—the Unknown 9.
Meet the Quaestors
Quaestors are Unknown 9’s resident truth seekers. They’re the ones that venture into the depths of the unknown to unearth lost wisdom. Though several Quaestors make cameos in the Story Trailer, two in particular have greatly impacted Haroona’s life, and will inevitably drive the player experience.
Reika, our protagonist’s beloved mentor, possesses an unmatched mastery of the Fold. Her Umbric gifts and worldly wisdom have shaped Haroona into the powerful Quaestor she is today.
The game’s main antagonist, Vincent Lichter, is the Ascendants’ leader and a former pupil of Reika’s. His growing frustrations about her blind faith in the 9 coupled with a momentous Fold discovery he made has caused him to reject her teachings. Believing that humankind should take back control of its own destiny, he’s rallied his loyal followers together to expose age-old secrets that threaten to usher in a new, more chaotic, world order.
When his and Reika’s paths cross, he swiftly takes her down in the name of his cause. This devastating loss is what sets in motion Haroona’s revenge mission.
The History of the Unknown 9
Reika explains how these enigmatic figures once belonged to an ancient civilization called the Sahin, an advanced society wiped from the face of the earth many millennia ago. During its fall, nine of its members were made immortal and entrusted with protecting all of humanity’s knowledge. They’ve since watched over us for centuries, acting on the powerful wisdom they guard at specific moments in time to guide us in the right direction.  
Platform and wish list details
Unknown 9: Awakening releases in the fall of 2024 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox one, Xbox series X|S and PC via Steam. Players can add the game to their wish lists on all major platforms.
For the latest developments on all things Unknown 9: Awakening, visit Unknown9.com and follow us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. And don’t forget to join the conversation on X and our official Discord channel!
If you’d like to contribute to the next major Reflector Entertainment x Bandai Namco project, good news! We’re looking for talented individuals with game development experience to join our Montreal video game studio.
Reflector Entertainment’s integration into the Bandai Namco Group has catalyzed our studio’s creative and technical evolution over the past three and a half years.
Discover what it’s like working for a Quebec-based video game company supported by the publishers of some of the most iconic video game titles of our time. Plus, hear what our employees have to say about what it’s like to level up with the help of Bandai Namco.
How it All Began
Reflector’s acquisition in the fall of 2020 was part of Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe’s larger strategy to expand its Western content development efforts.
This new chapter, which sparked an ongoing alliance centred on creating and delivering innovative video games and entertainment experiences to audiences worldwide, has been a game changer for Reflector.
In addition to holding the distinction of being the first Bandai Namco-owned studio in North America, our ties to (and support from) the renowned publisher has allowed us to pursue our game development and transmedia ambitions for our first IP, Unknown 9. It’s also opened the doors to exciting new game development opportunities.
The Bandai Namco Advantage
Joining Bandai Namco has transformed Reflector on every level, and in the best way possible.
A legendary cohort
We’ve joined a roster of legendary games recognized worldwide, like Dragon Ball, Elden Ring, Tekken, Pacman, Little Nightmares, Dark Souls, and the list goes on! Having our work shine alongside these timeless titles is a massive source of pride for us all.
Top-tier resources
Our ties to Bandai Namco provide us with the financial and technical support needed to create impactful experiences while maintaining our creative autonomy. It’s a win-win in the dynamic, high-stakes game industry.
Collaboration and exchange
When you pair Bandai Namco expertise with Reflector innovation, great things happen.
Whether it’s bringing Unknown 9 to market, prepping for the development of the next IP, or hosting knowledge-sharing events (like the first-ever Bandai Namco Global Development Summit), one thing is clear—we can go much further together.
Flexibility and creative autonomy
Bandai Namco has given us the resources and freedom to establish our unique identity. We’ve been able to build and maintain internal processes that suit our local reality; we’ve developed and continue to nurture our own company culture; and get to create entertainment experiences unlike any of the distributors’ other IPs!
Awesome projects
In addition to the Unknown 9 universe, we’ve begun developing a new experience for a popular Bandai Namcoproperty. It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to inject our unique creative vision into a beloved IP. It’s also proof positive that we’ve established our long-term strategic value within the group.
Leveling up with Bandai Namco
Hear what some of our team members have to say about what it’s like working with Bandai Namco x Reflector.
What’s Next?
The countdown is on to the release of the Unknown 9: Awakening video game and its larger transmedia experience. Remember, this vast universe’s borders will expand with the addition of new adventures, as well as fresh twists and turns in a number of its existing stories.
As for our next major endeavor, although we can’t yet divulge which Bandai Namco property we’re working on, our studio has welcomed some notable industry talent over the last year to help kick-start production!
