Riot Games Plans To Open A New Studio In Shanghai

It looks like Riot Games, developer of League of Legends and Valorant (among other things), has big plans for the future, big enough to warrant launching a new studio in Shanghai, China. According to a report on GamesIndustry, the company intends for the new studio to focus on creating new IPs rather than simply creating additional content for the existing library of games. It probably also doesn't hurt to have a studio in a region that developers tend to court for the massive player-base. It also makes sense for a company that's owned by TenCent, which is based out of China.

As with most things like this, there's not an expansive amount of information available. There is, however, a CNBC interview with Riot Games VP and Head of China, Leo Lin, where he discusses the company's focus on players and why they hope to expand on things in China -- not just in esports, which is obviously a big deal already -- but also on actual game development.

The company has confidence in the Chinese market and will continue to work on developing both gaming and e-sports, says Leo Lin, vice president and head of China at @riotgames. pic.twitter.com/c81NZGrmTx

— CNBC International (@CNBCi) July 30, 2021