Ubisoft Philippines is the island nation’s first major game studio

The Philippines is getting a new “Thrilla in Manila” — its first major gaming studio.

Ubisoft unveils its new Ubisoft Philippines studio today. It’s base is Santa Rosa Laguna, a suburb that’s 24 miles south of Manila. It’s an outgrowth of the French publisher’s operation in Singapore, making it its 30th studio. Its manager is Chip Go, a veteran of Ubisoft Singapore, and it falls under the umbrella of Oliver de Rotalier, who’s now the manager director of Singapore, Philippines, and Chengdu (China). The moves shows not just how global the $99.3 billion game industry has become, but also how it’s looking at new places to find game creators.