Reservoir Creative
Reservoir Creative is a Montréal-based creative agency specializing in AAA video game marketing assets, including high-resolution CGI key art, visual identity development, and full-service animation for major publishers such as Ubisoft, Sony, and Amazon Games.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Reservoir Creative does
Reservoir Creative is a privately held, Montréal-based creative agency that specializes exclusively in visual content for the video game industry. The company produces high-end CGI key art, brand/visual identity development, and full-service animation for AAA game marketing campaigns. Its deliverables include high-resolution CG characters and environments (up to 15K resolution, ~20,000 pixels wide, fully layered), built using industry-standard pipelines including Maya, Zbrush, Substance Painter, V-Ray, Redshift, and Unreal Engine. The studio also offers character grooming in X-Gen Interactive and full animation services spanning scriptwriting, storyboarding, performance capture direction, 3D animation, CFX/FX, and audio post-production.
The company's client base is concentrated in AAA video game publishing, with confirmed engagements for Ubisoft (multiple studios), Sony Interactive Entertainment, Amazon Games, Bethesda Softworks/Arkane Austin, Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment, Nacon, and Skybound Entertainment. Additional prestige work includes the official key art for The Game Awards 2024 (10th edition). Notable shipped projects include Demon's Souls (PS5), Helldivers 2, Rainbow Six Siege X, Anno 117: Pax Romana, Redfall, Gotham Knights: Court of Owls, XDefiant, New World: Aeternum, Steelrising, and The Walking Dead: Last Mile.
Reservoir operates a project-based professional services revenue model, executing fixed-price engagements for enterprise clients acquired through direct sales, industry reputation, and partnerships with creative intermediaries such as AKQA and Create Advertising. The studio is owned and run by its two founding partners — Pascal Ruest (Creative Director) and Victor Rainville (Executive Producer) — with a team of 11–50 employees consisting of AAA veterans. No institutional funding, parent company, or external ownership has been disclosed.
Reservoir Creative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Reservoir Creative
- Website
- https://reservoircreative.studio
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Reservoir Creative is a Montréal-based creative agency specializing in AAA video game marketing assets, including high-resolution CGI key art, visual identity development, and full-service animation for major publishers such as Ubisoft, Sony, and Amazon Games.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Reservoir Creative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Game Creative Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Animation Pipeline, Asset & Render Services (MPADACAM)
Keywords
Where Reservoir Creative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Reservoir Creative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Key Art Production: Project-based key art creation services for video game marketing campaigns, including main game covers, promotional materials, and digital/print assets. Revenue is generated through fixed-price project engagements with major gaming publishers.
- Animation & Motion Services: Full-service animation production including concept development, storyboarding, performance capture direction, 3D animation, visual effects, and post-production for video game trailers and promotional content.
- Visual Identity & Brand Development: Creative development and brand identity services for animation and video game properties, including visual development, concept art, and brand treatment creation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Reservoir Creative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Reservoir Creative is a video game creative agency that produces high-resolution key art, animation, visual identity, and brand development for AAA game publishers and entertainment franchises. They deliver CG character and environment production, single-image marketing storytelling, and full animation pipelines from concept to post-production. Their deliverables include modular, multi-layered key art up to 20,000 pixels wide designed for diverse marketing formats.
Product overview
Reservoir Creative is a creative agency offering three integrated core services for the video game industry: Visual ID (brand materialization and positioning), Key Art (single-image storytelling through CG characters, environments, lighting, and compositing), and Animation Work (full production from scriptwriting through post-production). Visual Identity and Brand Development complements these offerings with animation and video games visual development. The agency works with major publishers including Ubisoft, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Games, Amazon Games, Bethesda, Nacon, and Skybound Entertainment on AAA game marketing campaigns, producing high-resolution key art and animated content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Visual ID
- Key Art
Quantifiable outcome
- 15K resolution key art delivered in 7 weeks for Steelrising featuring detailed characters with lacework and embroideries plus full La Bastille environment
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Reservoir Creative
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Reservoir Creative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Reservoir Creative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Create AdvertisingcoreCreate Advertising has partnered with Reservoir on multiple projects including Steelrising and The Walking Dead: Last Mile. For Steelrising, Create Advertising's EVP & Head of Games Dan Pfister praised Reservoir's creativity and project management effectiveness. For TWDLM, Create Advertising presented the mandate to Reservoir as projects were in motion due to the hybrid game/series nature of the title.
- AKQAminorAKQA partnered with Reservoir Creative on the Redfall key art campaign. AKQA, acting as an agency intermediary, brought the project to Reservoir for production of six key art images supporting the game's announcement across advertising, packaging, and promotions. Reservoir handled all CG asset creation and high-resolution image production.
Scale indicators2 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Reservoir Creative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- AKQA: Global creative and digital agency with a games and entertainment practice that has partnered with Reservoir (Redfall campaign) to deliver AAA game marketing campaigns. Broad incumbent offering creative strategy plus production at scale.
- Weta Workshop: New Zealand-based design and effects company with a games division producing AAA assets, concept art and visual development for major entertainment IP. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in high-end game CG art.
- Sumo Digital: Large UK-based game developer and services company that owns Atomhawk, offering co-development, art services and full game production for major publishers. Broad incumbent operating at scale in the same AAA art-services category.
Direct peers
- Giant Ant: Chicago-based animation studio producing game trailers, brand films and motion content for AAA publishers including PlayStation, Xbox and Ubisoft. Direct comparable in delivering trailer and key visual creative for AAA games.
- Plastic Wax: Australia-based production studio specialising in real-time cinematics, key art and in-game cinematics for AAA game publishers. Direct comparable in delivering AAA key art and game-focused CG production.
- Ember Lab: Independent animation and game studio (creator of Kena: Bridge of Spirits) producing AAA-quality CG animation, characters and key visuals. Direct comparable in delivering senior-led AAA game CG content with strong artistic identity.
- Buck: Los Angeles-based animation and design studio producing game trailers, title sequences and brand storytelling for major game and entertainment clients. Direct comparable in delivering cinematic animation for video game marketing campaigns.
- Atomhawk: UK-based art studio (now part of Sumo Digital) producing concept art, key art, and CG assets for AAA games and entertainment IP. Direct comparable in delivering high-end game-centric visual assets with technical depth in 3D pipelines.
- Massive Black: US-based game art studio founded by veterans of Naughty Dog, producing concept art, key art and CG content for AAA franchises. Direct comparable in AAA game marketing creative with veteran-led talent base.
- Robot Teddy: London-based creative agency specializing in AAA video game marketing creative, including key art, trailers and cinematic content for major publishers such as Ubisoft and Sony. Closest direct comparable to Reservoir in offering, client base and senior-led boutique model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Reservoir Creative social profiles
Digital presenceReservoir Creative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Reservoir Creative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Reservoir Creative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Reservoir Creative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Reservoir Creative
What does Reservoir Creative do?
Reservoir Creative is a video game creative agency that produces high-resolution key art, animation, visual identity, and brand development for AAA game publishers and entertainment franchises. They deliver CG character and environment production, single-image marketing storytelling, and full animation pipelines from concept to post-production. Their deliverables include modular, multi-layered key art up to 20,000 pixels wide designed for diverse marketing formats.
Is Reservoir Creative a public or private company?
Reservoir Creative is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Reservoir Creative founded?
Reservoir Creative was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Reservoir Creative based?
Reservoir Creative is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Reservoir Creative make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Key Art Production is the primary driver. The others are animation & Motion Services and visual Identity & Brand Development.
Who are Reservoir Creative's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are AKQA, Weta Workshop and Sumo Digital. Direct peers are Giant Ant, Plastic Wax, Ember Lab, Buck, Atomhawk, Massive Black and Robot Teddy.
Does Reservoir Creative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Reservoir Creative.
What industry is Reservoir Creative in?
Reservoir Creative's product category is Game Creative Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADACAM, Animation Pipeline, Asset & Render Services. Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.