Riot Games to open offices in Philippines, APAC region
24 FEBRUARY 2022 – Riot Games has announced an update to its business reorganization in the fast growing Asia Pacific (APAC) region. With a massive focus on hyper-localisation, the leading gaming, entertainment and lifestyle brand will extend its publishing reach to include Japan and India.
Riot had previously run the SEA business out of its Singapore hub office and also had an office in Japan, and will now open new publishing offices in the Philippines, India, Indonesia/Malaysia, and Thailand.
To lead publishing efforts in APAC, Riot has also brought in Alex Kraynov, its previous Managing Director of Emerging Markets (Southeast Asia, India, Latin America, Brazil, Middle East, North Africa,and Japan), as the new Managing Director for APAC.
The reorganization will also see a diversification of Riot’s operating model, with Publishing being at the forefront, alongside its other business pillars of Games, Entertainment, Esports and Enterprise.
With the goal of being the most player-focused game company in the world, Riot has in the last couple of years launched several new titles including VALORANT, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Legends of Runeterra, as well as Riot Forge titles Ruined King and Hextech Mayhem. Riot’s games within the League of Legends universe have garnered over 600 million players globally in the past decade.
Beyond the gaming space, Riot has also released Arcane, the globally acclaimed Netflix animation series, as well as expanded efforts within the Riot Games Music group with the releases of royalty-free music under Riot Sessions, and virtual metal band Pentakill’s comeback EP, Lost Chapter. Riot has also continued expanding its space within fashion, working with brands such as Uniqlo to release a collection of League of Legends UT t-shirts. More recently, Riot also collaborated with Filipino urban streetwear brand Team Manila on an exclusive capsule collection to celebrate the launch of Neon, the first Filipino agent in its tactical shooter VALORANT.
Since re-establishing its Singapore HQ for Southeast Asia in 2018, Riot has significantly grown its workforce and is now doubling down on publishing in the region. This organizational expansion translates into the establishment of local offices and hiring Country Managers in key markets such as the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and India, joining publishing forces with Riot’s Japan office, and enhancing its publishing hub in Singapore to over 80 people across the region. Key departments within APAC Publishing include Country Operations, Publishing Partnerships, Brand Marketing, Growth Marketing and Services, Business Development, and Regional Tech.
Speaking of the reorganization, Riot Games, Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Alex Kraynov mentioned, “This is a natural step in progression for our publishing business in Southeast Asia, and Riot recognizes 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.
In the past few years, our offices in Singapore and Japan have worked hard to release several new games and have nurtured new esports leagues to excite and delight players. Working towards more physical presences in our key APAC markets, we’re extremely excited to double down on these efforts to continue striving towards being the most player-focused gaming company in the world.”
On top of bringing Alex Kraynov to lead APAC Publishing, he has also appointed the following leaders within his team:
- Shinji Komiyama, Director of Country Management, APAC
- Jennifer Poulson, Head of Publishing Partnerships, APAC
- Alasdair Gray, Head of Marketing, APAC
- Derek Winder, Head of Business Development, APAC
- Yasushi Fujimoto, Country Manager of Japan
- Joel Guzman, Country Manager of the Philippines
- Resha Pradipta, Country Manager of Indonesia/Malaysia
This leadership team will continue to grow from 2022 and beyond, with a Country Manager of Thailand, Country Manager of India, and a Head of Regional Tech to be appointed.
This article is an official press release from Riot Games.
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