Relic Entertainment | Game with us. (original) (raw)

Age of Empires IV

About the Franchise

Age of Empires is the critically acclaimed, award winning Real Time Strategy (RTS) game with a legacy spanning more than 20 years and nearly a dozen titles in the franchise. Known for its strategic gameplay founded on historical civilizations, the series spans a period of time from the Stone Age to early modern time, and even includes an episode exploring the legendary creatures and lore from mythology.

“You've never seen a strategy game with combat as intense as Company of Heroes.”

Company of Heroes™

Games in the Franchise
About the Franchise

Set in the European theatre of WWII, the Company of Heroes series is a compelling and historically authentic presentation of this epic conflict’s often violent and gritty warfare.

Praised for highly tactical combat, an innovative territory-control resource system and varied single and multiplayer campaign design, Company of Heroes is consistently regarded as the one of the greatest real time strategy franchises of all time.

The Company of Heroes franchise has won multiple awards and sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

“Relic's Dawn of the War series remains the best video game adaptation of this universe.”

WARHAMMER® 40,000™: DAWN OF WAR®

Games in the Franchise
About the Franchise

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is Relic’s critically-acclaimed RTS game that brings to life the iconic Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Set in the forty-first millennium, players choose a race and take them into battle on the brutal frontlines of war and fight for supremacy of the galactic empire.

Since its inception, the Dawn of War series has spawned seven highly-rated games and sold more than 7 million copies.

“...a rare gem for Warhammer fans.”

WARHAMMER® 40,000® SPACE MARINE®

Games in the Franchise
About the Franchise

In Warhammer® 40,000® Space Marine®, Captain Titus and a squad of Ultramarine veterans must defend the Imperial Forge World Graia from an invading horde of Orks and the Forces of Chaos until Imperial liberation fleet arrives. This third person shooter showcases Relic’s unique interpretation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe where players take the game’s signature arsenal of weaponry to deliver bone crushing violence and dismemberment to the enemies of mankind.

The Studio

We are an award-winning developer of genre-defining games like Homeworld, Dawn of War, Company of Heroes, and Age of Empires. We have delivered rich, thoughtful strategy games throughout our history and our vision is to continue making games that people love to play.

We have a culture of kindness, transparency, and play. There is a lot of heart and passion at this studio – we get to work on projects we’re proud of and we work hard to be the best at what we do. We are curious, we strive for excellence, we build on each other’s ideas, and we celebrate each other’s great work. Relicans organize movie nights, game tournaments, life drawing, community and charity events, and more. Basically, we believe that good work starts with a community you’re excited to spend your day with, both in and out of the studio.

We love creating and playing games. We value ideas and innovation, so every title we deliver is a reflection of our entire teams’ talents and passions. The story of Relic is ours to create, and we hope you'll join us.

Relic is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the x ʷ məθkwəy ̓ əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl ̓ ílwəta ʔ /Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We respect the land and honour this tradition of land acknowledgment that dates back centuries for Indigenous people. We thank those Indigenous people who still live on and care for these lands.

Meet the Team

Justin Dowdeswell

Over more than 20 years in the video games industry, Justin has built up experience at a number of studios large and small before becoming the Studio Head at Relic. Justin drives Relic’s goal of not just being a positive force in Vancouver’s thriving local game development community, but in partnership with SEGA continuing to develop genre-defining strategy titles that our fans love.

Greg Wilson

With over a decade of experience at the studio, Greg has helped establish Relic’s place in the pantheon of Real-Time Strategy. He has helped to build and guide teams that have delivered many of our biggest franchises including Dawn of War, Company of Heroes, and Age of Empires IV. Greg’s goals are simple - lead by example, foster a healthy work environment, and create space for Relic's incredibly talented developers to do what they love and deliver their absolute best.

Kris Lang

Kris has been finding creative ways to make games look, run, and play better for almost 20 years. Always looking for a new challenge to overcome, he oversees central development at Relic including the Essence Engine, the backbone of our titles. Kris believes that the key to game development is building a talented, creative, multidisciplinary team and then empowering them to use their individual strengths to create something amazing.

Outdoor Living

Embrace Vancouver’s natural beauty and healthy lifestyle

Stanley Park

An urban rainforest in the heart of downtown Vancouver

Dining

From fine-dining to food trucks, feast on world-class cuisine

Historic Yaletown

Home to the Relic studio

Vancouver Canucks

Experience the thrill and passion of Canada’s sport

Whistler

North America’s best mountain resort is an outdoor lover’s paradise

Multi-cultural City

Vancouver celebrates its ethnic mosaic throughout the year

VANCOUVER IN NUMBERS

The population of greater Vancouver is 2.1million and it is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Canada.

3 ski mountains are located on the outskirts of Vancouver and world-renowned Whistler resort is only 90 minutes away.

A mecca for the creative industry, Vancouver is home to 44% of Canadian game developers and a thriving film sector. Vancouver truly is Hollywood North.

Stanley Park is one of the largest parks in North America covering 1001 acres making it 10% larger than New York’s Central Park.

History

1997

Relic Entertainment is created.

In a small office above a bar in Vancouver’s funky, newly resurgent Yaletown district, burgeoning game developers Alex Garden and Luke Moloney establish a gaming studio called Relic. Their vision was simple: become the world's best RTS studio.

From the outset, Relic sought to balance the priorities of people and products while creating the best entertainment software available, a philosophy that still drives us today.

Their initial project was an as-yet-unnamed video game. Relic soon secured a publishing agreement with Sierra Online to develop Homeworld for the PC platform.

1999

Homeworld launches across the world to critical acclaim.

Homeworld is released and is recognized as an instant classic. Aptly set in outer space, as it was a true pioneer in PC gaming. Not only was it the world’s first complete 3D RTS, but it also introduced concepts never before seen in RTS gaming—such as an epic overarching narrative, stunning graphics and sound design that utilized a specially created sound engine. Also among its firsts was the concept of a ‘persistent fleet’—which carried players’ remaining ships and resources into subsequent missions rather starting each new mission with a new set.

Homeworld’s legacy can’t be overstated. It received widespread critical acclaim winning over 100 awards globally including numerous "Game of the Year" awards from several North American gaming publications.

More importantly, it firmly established Relic as an innovator in the world of RTS gaming, and ultimately was the starting point for our ascendancy as a world-class studio.

2003

Impossible Creatures released in partnership with Microsoft.

Impossible Creatures released in partnership with Microsoft. Originally titled Sigma: The Adventures of Rex Chance, it represented yet another first for Relic and the RTS genre – unfettered creativity.

A highly personal gaming experience, all armies used in gameplay are created by the player by combining animals and their attributes into powerful monsters. In fact, more than 40,000 custom army units were able to be created from the game’s 50 base creatures. The game also marked a major foray into modding with Impossible Creatures shipping with a powerful yet easy to use set of tools that gave users the freedom to build custom islands and even import their own wild animals that can be used in creature combinations.

2003 also saw Relic deliver the much-anticipated Homeworld 2 to critical acclaim. An evolutionary progression from the original game, Homeworld 2 continued to demonstrate our prowess in storytelling, benchmark graphics and polished gameplay.

Homeworld 2 also marked the end of Relic’s partnership with Sierra Entertainment.

2004

Dawn of War is released and becomes the ultimate realization of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe.

With the release of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, Relic enters a new era and the beginning of our longstanding relationship with Games Workshop. Praised for innovations in resource management and squad-based interface, we continued to challenge the norms for what RTS game is and what it could be.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War also spawned three well received expansions - Winter Assault, Dark Crusade, Soulstorm which introduced new gameplay designs including the meta map – a feature that is now a mainstay component in all Relic games.

To this day, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is still recognized as one of the best RTS games and the ultimate realization of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. This fan favorite franchise has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide.

2004 is also the year in which THQ acquired Relic, giving us access to the resources and publishing benefits of a major publisher.

2006

Company of Heroes released, considered by many to be our signature game.

Considered by many to be our signature game, Company of Heroes debuts featuring bold innovations such as squad mechanics with realistic, humanlike behaviour. One of the highest rated RTS games of all time, it was given the “best RTS score ever” by PC Gamer magazine.

Company of Heroes has won multiple awards from prominent gaming magazines and sold over 4 million copies worldwide. Two standalone expansions—Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor—have since been released.

Aside from its widespread acclaim and commercial success, the release of Company of Heroes was also notable for being our first game to be built on the Essence Engine – our first major proprietary technology, purpose-built to meet the unique requirements of RTS games. Its stunning breadth of capabilities allowed Relic to fully align its game design and vision. Essence featured next generation graphical effects, High Dynamic Range (HDR), dynamic lighting and shadows, advanced shader effects and normal mapping. Essence is currently in its third version as is the backbone of entire development process.

This year also saw Relic release its first-ever console game, The Outfit, for the Xbox 360.

2009

Dawn of War II is released marking the next chapter in this acclaimed RTS series.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is released marking the next chapter in this acclaimed RTS series. As a sequel, it took the premise of the original while incorporating the ground breaking gameplay features introduced in Company of Heroes.

Built using the updated Essence Engine 2.0, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II continued to push the genre forward with a focus on fast-action RTS gameplay, a deep RPG progression structure, and enhanced character customization. It also saw the debut of Last Stand – an extremely popular three-player arcade-style horde survival mode.

Two expansions have been subsequently released: Chaos Rising and Retribution, the later featured the first multiple-race single player campaign in the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II series.

2010

Company of Heroes Online is released.

The launch of Company of Heroes Online represents our first foray into Massive Multiplayer Online Real-Time Strategy (MMORTS) gaming. Initially designed for the Asian market in 2008, Company of Heroes Online was one of the first free-to-play games deployed in the Western market. Based on our highly-rated WWII franchise, the game reimagined the Company of Heroes experience with the command tree which provided an RPG style progression.

As a game, Company of Heroes Online was ahead of its time and was ultimately discontinued by publisher THQ; however it played a critical role in Relic’s progression as a studio. It set the stage and cemented our commitment to the Games-as-a-Service model whereby we provide sustained and continued post-launch content and support.

2011

Space Marine released. The third game to take place in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine was also an important milestone for Relic. Not only did it illustrate our deep understanding of the Warhammer 40,000 IP, it showcased our versatility in game development. We expanded beyond the traditional squad-based battles seen in Dawn of War series, to create a whole new Warhammer 40,000 experience that was focused completely on the brutality and intimacy of individual combat.

With the launch of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, Relic also made its first foray into developing a true multiplatform third-person shooter / melee combat game. The game was a departure for Games Workshop while marking the first time that the Warhammer 40,000 universe was available via console – opening their IP to a whole new audience.

2013

SEGA acquires Relic - marking a bold new chapter in their history.

Company of Heroes 2, the long-awaited sequel to the most widely acclaimed game in Relic’s history, makes its historic return. The game, along with the standalone expansions of Western Front Armies and Ardennes Assault, expands the scope and scale of the Company of Heroes franchise while showcasing our continued growth as a developer.

The game brings forth a greater diversity of armies, a deeper narrative and interpretation of the European theatre of WWII and, most importantly, a complex campaign design based around the meta map and persistent armies. An unqualified success, Company of Heroes 2 has received dozens of ‘Best of’ awards and continues to outperform its predecessor.

2013 was also the year in which SEGA, looking to bolster their PC game development capabilities, acquired Relic - marking a bold new chapter in the studio’s storied history.

2017

Relic celebrates its 20th anniversary with the release of Dawn of War III

In an industry milestone, Relic marks its 20th anniversary as a proudly Canadian destination strategy studio. Throughout the year, we celebrated with great food, great people, and great memories of two decades of games that have left a mark on the industry, and are still enjoyed by our fans today

2017 also marked the released of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, the third chapter in the acclaimed RTS series. By introducing powerful Elite units to the classic base building and massive armies from the original Dawn of War, Dawn of War III combined the spectacular battles and tactical game-changing decisions that made previous titles so successful.

2021

Relic releases the highly anticipated Age of Empires IV

On October 26, 2021 Relic released the highly anticipated Age of Empires IV. The title garnered huge acclaim from critics and fans, who praised it for lovingly updating the classic real-time strategy gameplay while embracing the soul of the beloved franchise. Age of Empires IV’s massive campaign weaves true-life “Hands On History” segments between missions, providing context and background for each spectacular battle.

Relic was also honoured in 2021 to be a recipient of a Best Places to Work in Canada Award, as well as the Canada’s Best Boss Award for Relic's COO Heidi Eaves. Put on by market-leading video game industry website GamesIndustry.biz, these awards are determined by anonymous staff survey, and reflect the confidence and trust Relicans have in where we’re at, and where we’re headed, as a studio.

2023

Company of Heroes Returns After 10 Years

February 2023 marked the release of Company of Heroes 3, the long-awaited next installment of Relic's acclaimed franchise. Company of Heroes 3 takes the franchise to the Mediterranean theatre, showcasing a wide range of new environments, locations, and units never before seen in a COH title. Company of Heroes 3 also includes the North Africa campaign and Deutsches Afrikakorps faction, which was long-requested by our fans.

With a goal of creating the biggest COH experience yet, Company of Heroes 3 introduces many firsts for the franchise. The campaign map offers a whole new level of strategy to the single-player experience, putting more control in the player's hands. Full Tactical Pause is an innovative feature allowing players to pause the action at any time and queue up commands before watching their strategies play out, offering an option for players who prefer a slower pace or who might be new to the RTS genre.

Company of Heroes 3 is also the first entry in the franchise to release on consoles. We were excited to bring the full COH3 experience to console players for the first time ever, with online multiplayer and thoughtful controller support that prioritized being fun to play, while sacrificing none of the strategic control COH is known for.

1997

Relic Entertainment is created.

1997

1999

Homeworld launches across the world to critical acclaim.

1999

2003

Impossible Creatures released in partnership with Microsoft.

2003

2004

Dawn of War is released and becomes the ultimate realization of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe.

2004

2006

Company of Heroes released, considered by many to be our signature game.

2006

2009

Dawn of War II is released marking the next chapter in this acclaimed RTS series.

2009

2010

Company of Heroes Online is released.

2010

2011

Space Marine released. The third game to take place in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

2011

2013

SEGA acquires Relic - marking a bold new chapter in their history.

2013

2017

Relic celebrates its 20th anniversary with the release of Dawn of War III

2017

2021

Relic releases the highly anticipated Age of Empires IV

2021

2023

Company of Heroes Returns After 10 Years

2023

Careers

We take great pride in the work we do here at Relic. Not just pride in the games we create, but in the culture we foster, and in the community we’re part of both inside the studio and out. To be a Relican means you’re equally excited to share your ideas and listen to others. You bring your own unique experience, perspective, and voice to each project, because that unique voice is what will help us go beyond where we were before you arrived. More than anything, you bring passion, empathy, and kindness to work every day, and you leave ego and cynicism at the door.

On our end, we do everything we can to remove barriers between doing what you love, and loving what you do. Inside the studio, we’ve redefined what it means to be a great Relican, and are introducing detailed guidelines for you to work with your manager so you always know where you are on your career path, and how we can work with you if you’d like to grow in to another discipline at Relic. We offer referral bonuses, a generous RRSP matching program, minimum four week vacation for full-time employees (plus a week off when we shut down for the holidays), and more.

Outside the studio, we’re fortunate to be in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and we don’t take it for granted. We partner with local restaurants and businesses for staff discounts, as well as fitness facilities and car share programs so you can get the most out of your city. Above all, we take pride in providing a healthy work-life balance so you can go out and enjoy all these great perks!

If the idea of making great games with great people excites you, reach out! Check out our open roles below.

Please click this link to view our Candidate Application Notice.

NOTE: We’re aware that there have been emails claimed to be from Relic with fraudulent job interviews and offers being sent. All of Relic’s HR & Recruiting Team is public and searchable on LinkedIn. We strongly encourage anyone who receives an email from Relic to make sure it’s from someone on our team, and to reach out to that individual via private message if you’re at all unsure. Thank you!

Current Vacancies