Game developer and publisher Riot Games has announced plans to reorganise its business in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. This includes expanding its publishing reach in Japan and India.
The company will open new offices in the Philippines, India, Indonesia and Thailand. Riot Games will also increase its publishing efforts in the region, as well as on a more global scale.
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Riot Games’ previous Managing Director of Emerging Markets, Alex Kraynov, has been appointed as the new Managing Director for APAC.
According to the publisher, the diversification of Riot Games’ operating model will also affect its other business operations such as its games, entertainment, esports and enterprise divisions. The reorganisation is reportedly fueled by the Asian market’s immense growth, especially in the mobile sector.
Riot Games is mostly known for its wide variety of esports titles, including League of Legends and VALORANT. The publisher has delved into a variety of game genres with titles such as Legends of Runterra, TeamFight Tactics, Wild Rift and Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, among others. The company also operates various esports leagues and tournaments.
Riot Games’ Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Alex Kraynov commented: “This is a natural step in progression for our publishing business in Southeast Asia, and Riot recognises that APAC has the potential to become the biggest region in the world for Riot. This region is intricately diverse, with massive gaming communities that have diverse needs and a strong appetite for mobile gaming.
Kraynov also noted that the Riot Games’ existing offices in Singapore and Japan have worked hard on releasing new games and creating new esports leagues. The improved presence in the region highlights Riot Games looks to double down on both esports and publishing, although the company did not hint at any future plans.
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Riot has made efforts to improve the localisation of its services and recently opened the first of three big broadcasting studios, located in Ireland. The company announced definitive plans to open another broadcast center in the APAC region and a third one in the United States. The centres will be focused on producing esports content and will be supported by local offices. Riot Games’ APAC hub is located in Singapore.
In addition to Kraynov, Riot Games has already appointed a number of new people for its APAC expansion. This includes Shinji Komiyama as its Director of Country Management and Jennifer Poulson as Head of Publishing Partnerships for the region.
Esports Insider says: Although this reorganisation is focused on game publishing, the move shows that Riot is serious about being present all over the world. The company now has offices in more than 20 countries and is closer to its goal of providing 24-hour coverage and production of gaming and esports content. The new offices could hint at a broader focus on mobile games, as Wild Rift is still struggling to compete with Mobile Legends in Asia.