It’s all Greek to me
The studio formerly known as Square Enix Montreal has now rebranded as “Onoma” — The name change comes following the outfit’s acquisition by Swedish holding company Embracer Group.
In a statement on the studio’s sparkling fresh website, Onoma reveals that it went through over 160 name suggestions before settling on the new name, which is Greek for “name” and was chosen due to its easy pronunciation in almost any language — most notably French and English, the native languages of the French-Canadian studio.
“Our strength has always been our ability to evolve and adapt to trends and market changes,” reads the statement. “Our rebrand as Studio Onoma is one more transformation that we are excited to take on. Our new brand identity will serve as an umbrella to multiple products, programs, and initiatives, each with distinct personalities.”
Onoma was acquired from Square Enix by Embracer Group back in May of this year, in a smart and lucrative deal that also included proven developers Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics, as well as a catalog of well-known and successful IPs including Legacy of Kain, Thief, Deus Ex, and, most notably, Tomb Raider. The $300 million (USD) acquisition was finally completed in August.
“Our name and look might have changed,” concludes the developer’s statement, “but we are still us: a studio that empowers creativity and innovation and always puts people before products. (Just in a new and improved version!)”
