Ubisoft Opens Two New Studios in Ukraine and India

The Ubisoft family is once again growing. This time, to Ukraine and India. The French publisher and developer has announced two brand-new studios that will be located in Mumbai, India and Odesa, Ukraine.

Like other recent studio openings, the new teams will assist and work in collaboration with Ubisoft studios worldwide on AAA game development. Aka they will likely be support studios, however, Ubisoft has said they will be looking to grow both in the coming years.

Ubisoft Mumbai is poised to open this June, and will be the second studio located in the world's second most populated country, joining the previously established Ubisoft Pune.

"Our ambition is to contribute towards the development of the Indian videogame ecosystem by partnering closely with top schools and institutions," said Jean-Philippe Pieuchot, managing director for Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai.

Ubisoft Mumbai will specifically be looking to add a massive 100 developers within the next two years, and will partner with the Indian Institute of Technology to research topics with a focus on machine learning and AI. Additionally, the studio is also partnering with Intuit Lab, and has helped create the Game Art Design program, which is said to provide a comprehensive four-year education and training to aspiring game-industry professionals.

As for Ubisoft Odesa, which has already opened its doors, it will also be a second studio, joining the 10-year-old Ubisoft Kiev.

"Odesa has a lot to offer in terms of talent, in particular tech professionals," said Sébastien Delen, Managing Director for Eastern European Hub Studios (Romania, Ukraine, and Serbia), Ubisoft. "We're always on the lookout for high potential markets with the passion, skills, and expertise to create the very best games, and Odesa's reputation in several key fields makes this investment the perfect match."

Ubisoft notes the small team is looking to expand, but doesn't divulge by how much.

Ubisoft's aggressive expansion is a risky maneuver, but one that seems to be paying off. What seems to be even more astute on Ubisoft's part is that it is growing all around the world, rather than just sprouting in certain regions. This should enable it to cultivate the best global talent, many of who are often ignored or forgotten by other titans of the industry.