Dozens Reportedly Being Held Hostage on Ubisoft Rooftop in Montreal (UPDATED)

UPDATE:After evacuating people at the office, the Montreal police posted on social media that no [...]

By Hannah Barnes

UPDATE:

After evacuating people at the office, the Montreal police posted on social media that no threat was present and the initial 911 call may have been a "hoax." According to Polygon and a report in Le Journal de Montreal, the 911 call came from inside the building and was allegedly made at 1 p.m., threatening to "blow up" the building housing the Ubisoft offices if they didn't receive a $2 million ransom.

Police did not confirm the reporting of the Le Journal de Montreal and TVS Nouvelles in their announcement, so details are officially still up in the air. The update from police was provided at 4 p.m. ET and officers are still investigating the incident. The original story continues below.

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A possible hostage situation is taking place at Ubisoft Montreal in Canada, the Journal de Montreal reports. Police are currently on the scene at the company's offices, where dozens of people are reportedly being held on the roof. Polygon reports that some workers inside the building are said to be hiding in conference rooms.

"We received a call for robbery in a commercial space. For the moment, we are at the stage of verifications," a Montreal police spokesperson told La Presse. Photos from a news helicopter appear to show a number of people on the roof of the offices.

A number of people are discussing the situation on Twitter, with one person posting a photo of the area and writing that people were coming out of the building with their hands up. The Montreal Police have not confirmed any details beyond a police operation.

Images from the scene show heavily armed Montreal police officers in the area. Police have set up a perimeter at the corner of St-Laurent Blvd. and St-Viateur Street. Police are asking people to avoid the area. La Presse reported that heavily armed police forces are on the scene with paramedics prepared to act. Bulletproof shields are being used.

Eric Pope, who works at Ubisoft but is currently working from home, tweeted that he is "terrified" for his friends in the office and has "no idea about specifics." He also replied to someone who asked if the news of a hostage situation was true, writing "apparently" and adding that he "was on a call with folks at the office and they had to leave abruptly."

Ubisoft Entertainment is a French video game company headquartered in Montreal with several studios across the world, including Montreal. It publishes games for video game franchises like Rayman, Raving Rabbids, Prince of Persia, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance and the Tom Clancy's series. TVA Nouvelles noted that the office building in question also houses businesses other than Ubisoft Montreal, so it's unclear if the crisis directly involves the studio.

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