League of Legends maker Riot Games will open a new development studio in Shanghai, China.
A job listing for a new head of studio explains the new Shanghai opening will be a “collaboration between Riot Game Studios and Riot’s Regional China Team.” The advert indicates the successful candidate will be tasked with growing the new studio “into one of the top game development studios in China,” while also working to “develop games and content that delight players.”
Speaking to CNBC International about the plans, Riot vice president and head of China, Leo Lin, said the company is keen to bolster its presence in the region to better serve players.
“In China, we have a lot of passionate players for League of Legends and Riot Games. There’s a reason we would like to double down in China and continue to invest here, including not only working on esports but also, for example, game development and other things like entertainment.
“There’s a big plan here. I can share more details later because we’re still working on the plan, but we’re definitely very confident about the Chinese market, and we want to be here to serve out players.”
It’s perhaps unsurprising to see Riot look to make inroads into China. The American company is owned by Chinese conglomerate, Tencent, and Riot explained it will be working with its parent company to better connect with players in the region.