Riot Games has revealed that it plans to expand its publishing operations in the Asia Pacific region (APAC) to include Japan and India.

To support its expansion the company will establish new offices in the Philippines, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, and Thailand. The new studios will operate alongside the firm’s already established offices in Japan and Singapore.

To spearhead its APAC publishing efforts, Riot has appointed Alex Kraynov as its managing director for APAC. Prior to this, Kraynov served as Riot’s managing director of emerging markets.

Publishing progression

"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," said Kraynov.

"This region is intricately diverse, with massive gaming communities that have diverse needs and a strong appetite for mobile gaming."

Kraynov made a series of leadership appointments to support the company’s expansion, including Shinji Komiyama as director of country management, Jennifer Poulson as head of publishing partnerships, Alasdair Gray as head of marketing, and Derek Winder as head of business development.

Additionally Kraynov appointed Yasushi Fujimoto as country manager of Japan, Joel Guzman country manager of the Philippines, and Resha Pradipta as country manager of Indonesia/Malaysia.

Earlier this week, Riot announced that it has appointed Marc Merrill, one of the company’s co-founders, as its president of games to lead current and future projects, including the firm’s R&D efforts.