Ubisoft appoints new Shanghai studio head as French video gaming giant continues to tweak business amid tough conditions
- Yang Zhihong, a Chinese native with nearly 20 years experience, will be the new managing director for Ubisoft Shanghai from the beginning of 2024
- Ubisoft began to adjust its China business earlier this year amid challenging market conditions in the wake of a regulatory crackdown
French video gaming powerhouse Ubisoft Entertainment, the publisher behind hit action-adventure franchise Assassin’s Creed, has appointed a new Shanghai studio head amid a tough environment in the world’s largest video gaming market.
Yang Zhihong, a Chinese native with nearly 20 years experience, will be the new managing director for Ubisoft Shanghai from the beginning of 2024, according to a LinkedIn post by Ubisoft China Studios on Wednesday. The Shanghai unit is one of two studios the French firm has set up in China.
Yang replaces Jean-Francois Vallee, who has led the Shanghai team since 2021 and who is moving to lead the French firm’s studios in Southeast Asia and India.
Yang joined Ubisoft in 2004 and has contributed to the development of titles including the Splinter Cell and Far Cry Primal franchises.
He is currently the lead producer of the Chinese edition of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, an action role-playing game first launched globally in 2019, according to the company. His appointment was announced the same day as the Chinese edition went online.
Ubisoft, which is backed by Chinese gaming heavyweight Tencent Holdings, began to adjust its China business earlier this year amid challenging times for the market in the wake of a regulatory crackdown and weak consumer sentiment.
