Ubisoft taps Bulgarian talent

French game developer and publisher Ubisoft has opened a new studio in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The initial team of 21 will expand by an additional 40 members of staff before the end of the year, and will begin working immediately on a couple of newly confirmed titles, including a PC version of Rayman Raving Rabbids and "a console version of CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder."

Eleven members of the new team, including manager Alexandru-Ion Radu, have been transferred from the Romania studio, where they worked on the Xbox 360 title Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII. Ubisoft's executive director, worldwide studios, Christine Burgess-Quemard, stated that the Bulgaria office would be looking to tap into local talent, and that the studio is "part of Ubisoft's ongoing strategy to develop major titles internally, ensuring creativity and innovation."

The Bulgaria studio adds to Ubisoft's already sizeable suite, which boasts existing operations in France, Romania, Canada, Italy, and China. Ubisoft recently reported mixed financial results, with an increase in sales, yet a fall in profits, which the company attributed to higher costs associated with research and development for next-gen technology.