By Jonnah Lynne Pante
AAA game developer Ubisoft Philippines has expanded its local operations in the country through the commencement of its new game development studio located in De La Salle University in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
The said studio, which is the first and only facility intended for co-developing AAA games in the Philippines will be the company’s main hub of operations in the country.
According to Ubisoft Philippines Studio Manager Chip Go, the new studio is designed to promote the company’s values “serious about fun” in line with the studio’s strong team ambition of developing “the most memorable experiences for players.”
“At Ubisoft Philippines, we take fun seriously and our new studio is the embodiment of this motto. Our staff pushes the quality bar to international standards, and we are more than happy to provide them with an environment that is conducive to creativity, collaboration and self-expression. This is reflected in our office architecture, such as the open-floor design and the break-out spaces which promote communication and fosters teamwork,” says Go.
Since starting its local operations in 2016, developers from Ubisoft Philippines have already co-developed five AAA games including Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, The Crew 2, For Honor, and Skull & Bones.
A space intended for creativity iframe collaboration, the new Ubisoft Philippines studio houses a number of game stations and lifestyle corners like a dedicated pantry, break-out lounge per floor, and a full roof deck for events.
Aside from opening a new studio, Ubisoft Philippines broadens its local efforts through partnerships with different sectors, including DLSU, to create a pool of Filipino game developers. DLSU is among the universities in the country that offer game development courses.
“Having our studio inside a university allows us to take an active hand in molding the game developers of the future and equip them with the skills they need to pursue their dream career,” Go said.
“Our goal is to train the game developers of the future, and our partnership with De La Salle University (DLSU) helps us achieve this. Together with DLSU, we created the curriculums and will be teaching classes for two 4-year bachelor degrees: BS Interactive Entertainment major in Game Development (BS IET-GD) 2. BS Interactive Entertainment major in Game Art and Design (BS IET-AD),” he added.
“The Philippines is a young, vibrant, and creative country with a strong gaming culture and tech- savvy people—qualities we look for in employees. This is why we are here, to be close to this rich talent pool. And we are committed to developing the people we hire.”
Ubisoft has also collaborated with Passerelles Numeriques, a non-governmental organization that provides IT training to underprivileged kids in Cebu.
The company also disclosed that it will hire up to 200 game developers in the coming years, with current job openings for artists, programmers, and project managers, among others. Ubisoft Philippines employees are also given different overseas training opportunities at Ubisoft international locations.