Typhoon Studios

Typhoon Studios Inc.

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Founded	February 2017 (2017-02)
Founder	Alex Hutchinson, Yassine Riahi, Reid Schneider
Defunct	February 2021 (2021-02)
Fate	Shut down after closure of Stadia Games and Entertainment
Headquarters	Montreal , Canada
Key people	Alex Hutchinson, Yassine Riahi, Reid Schneider, Erick Bilodeau
Number of employees	25 (2018)
Parent	Google (2019–2021)

Typhoon Studios Inc. was a Montreal-based Canadian video game developer. Established in early 2017 by Alex Hutchinson, Yassine Riahi, and Reid Schneider, the company was acquired by Google in December 2019 and subsequently became part of Stadia Games and Entertainment (SG&E). Following the launch of its first game, Journey to the Savage Planet, in 2020, Typhoon Studios was shut down along with SG&E in February 2021. In August 2021, former team members founded Raccoon Logic, obtaining the rights to the Savage Planet franchise.

History

Typhoon Studios was created in Montreal in February 2017 by Alex Hutchinson, Yassine Riahi, and Reid Schneider. Bringing experience from Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE), the founders aimed to develop games that occupied the mid-tier market—positioned between indie projects and AAA blockbusters—highlighting titles such as Firewatch and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice as inspirations. Their focus was on a segment underserved by high-budget AAA games like Call of Duty.

Initial financing was provided by Chinese venture capital firm Makers Fund; however, this did not influence the company’s strategic focus toward Asian markets. The studio’s first recruit was art director Erick Bilodeau, who previously worked alongside some WBIE colleagues. Early operations were conducted from a rent-free motion capture facility with basic equipment before relocating to a dedicated office space upon securing additional investment. By September 2018, Typhoon Studios had partnered with publisher 505 Games to distribute its inaugural title. The team expanded from 20 employees in late 2018 to 25 by year’s end. The studio unveiled Journey to the Savage Planet at The Game Awards 2018.

On December 19, 2019, Google acquired Typhoon Studios and incorporated it into SG&E, which specialized in exclusive content for Google Stadia. The acquisition was motivated by Typhoon’s seasoned staff with multiple AAA releases; nonetheless, publishing rights for Journey to the Savage Planet remained with other entities. The game debuted on PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in January 2020, followed by a Nintendo Switch version in May and a Stadia release on February 1, 2021. That same day, Google announced the closure of SG&E, leading to Typhoon Studios’ shutdown.

In August 2021, key former members of Typhoon—including Hutchinson, Schneider, and Bilodeau—established Raccoon Logic with financial support from Tencent and other investors. They acquired ownership of the Savage Planet intellectual property along with ongoing development of its sequel. Raccoon Logic launched the follow-up title, Revenge of the Savage Planet, in May 2025.