The France-based game maker said that the studio will open its doors in late July, and house 20 developers with plans to expand to 200 in four years.

Ubisoft said that the decision to move into the new location was "directly tied to the fact that [Sao Paulo] is the economic capital of Brazil, itself the economic leader in South America."

Ubisoft also noted the "young and creative" population and the city"s reputation as a "cultural hotspot."

Bertrand Chaverot, who operated Ubisoft"s Brazilian sales subsidiary from 1999 to 2003, will lead the new location. Most recently, Chaverot was managing director of Ubisoft"s external development department for Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The new studio will work with other Ubisoft studios to develop family-oriented portable and console games.

Ubisoft now has development studios on five continents.

"The cultural richness of Sao Paulo, coupled with its leading university network will bring a unique set of fresh talent to Ubisoft"s international development community," said Ubisoft executive director of worldwide studios Christine Burgess-Quémard. "We look forward to tapping into the exceptional talent in South America in order to continue our global expansion."