Berlin-based mobile games company Kolibri Games has opened a new studio in the Romanian capital Bucharest. 

The expansion follows Kolibri’s acquisition by French gaming giant Ubisoft earlier this year, and is part of a broader growth strategy, the company said in a press release on August 18. Kolibri currently employs over 120 people at its Berlin headquarters. 

The Bucharest office is headed by Stefan Sovu, founder of Profane Studios, who will set up the office and build a team of around 50 people by mid-2021. 

The focus of the new studio will be to create new games within the Idle Miner Tycoon universe, which has had over 150mn downloads to date. 

“We truly believe in the potential of Idle Miner Tycoon and are excited to start working on entirely new titles that will expand the universe of our most successful game to date,” said Daniel Stammler, Kolibri Games co-CEO and co-founder. 

“I am excited about this opportunity to create new games based on one of the most successful idle titles out there. In addition, I am proud to tackle this challenge in my country of origin, which is home to an incredibly talented community of game makers,” commented Sovu.

Romania has become an important centre for game development, attracting international players led by Ubisoft, which set up in Romania back in 1992. On top of that, Romania has a solid indie development scene, with dozens of independent studios in Bucharest, as well as several in Cluj, Iasi, Timisoara and other cities.