The company said the Da Nang studio would focus on "creating original mobile games and instant games for social media platforms."

There are 40 employees now, and the plan is to hire more in the next few years to reach 100.

"The location is perfect, right between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, so there is this a big talent pool to draw from," Aurelien Palasse, Ubisoft Da Nang manager, said. "Da Nang also offers a great alternative to much larger cities, with an ideal balance between quality of life and work."

According to a February survey, Vietnam ranked 40th out of 100 countries in terms of mobile video gaming experience, and only behind Singapore in Southeast Asia.

The studio will develop nine to 10 games a year after its first game comes out in September 2021.

Vincent Floreani, the French consul general in HCMC, said the opening of Ubisoft Da Nang on Monday would bring opportunities for the city and other French businesses to collaborate.

Vietnam has more than 100,000 programmers and 75,000 tech specialists, and 40,000 new IT graduates every year.

Palasse said the company is collaborating with local universities to create training programs.

Huynh Lien Phuong, director of the Da Nang Investment Promotion Agency, said the number of French and European businesses in Da Nang is still modest, and Ubisoft's investment is a positive signal for the city.

French businesses mainly invest in advanced technology and information technology, and the city welcomes this type of investment because it requires little land, does not cause environmental problems, creates jobs, and helps improve the skills of local human resources, she said.

The city had granted licenses to 50 FDI projects worth over $77.5 million this year as of May 15.

Ubisoft, the fourth largest video games publisher in the world and third largest in Europe, is best known for the Far Cry and Assassin's Creed franchises.