A leading AAA game development studio in Southeast Asia, Ubisoft Singapore has installed Neumann studio monitors in its Studio Blue as part of a wider upgrade to support advanced audio production workflows. The first Dolby Atmos-enabled game development sound studio in Southeast Asia, Studio Blue is now equipped with 11 Neumann KH 80 DSPs and a KH 810 subwoofer.
Established in 2008, Ubisoft Singapore has been at the forefront of AAA game development in the region. From early co-development work on titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Assassin’s Creed, the studio has grown into a lead developer, spearheading projects such as Skull and Bones, released in 2024. Today, the Singapore team is known for its expertise in naval gameplay and water technology, as well as its commitment to pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling through game development, now powered by their investment in next-generation audio facilities.
Within its 33,000sq-ft office space, Ubisoft Singapore houses three sound studios, each dedicated and tailored to a specific aspect of game audio production. Studio Red functions as a recording studio while Studio Black serves as its live room. Studio Blue (previously Studio A) has now undergone a complete transformation, moving from a traditional 5.1 set-up to a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 configuration specifically for mixing and asset creation. The ambition behind the development was to create a future-proof space where sound could play a deeper part instorytelling and elevate immersive experiences for players worldwide.
The discussions about upgrading of Studio A began in 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic put these plans on hold. When Ubisoft Singapore subsequently relocated to a new office space within the same building in 2022, the team saw it as an opportunity to reimagine the studio.
‘As audio technology and the gaming industry continue to evolve, we are always looking for ways to enhance our soundscapes so that players can have the best immersive auditory experience,’ says Associate Lead Audio Designer, Nicolas Ow. ‘The jump from 5.1 to Dolby Atmos felt like the natural next step, thanks to its 3D object-based workflow, which enables our games to be experienced as intended by the widest possible audience.’
With support and consultation from Broadcast Communications International as well as Dolby Singapore, the company created Studio Blue, with appropriate monitoring critical to its work. After evaluating several options and visiting other Dolby Atmos studios, the team chose Neumann KH 80 DSP monitors as they provided the best balance between size and frequency response. The smaller form factor also made it possible to achieve a full, accurate sound without overwhelming the studio’s layout, keeping the space open and comfortable for long creative sessions.
‘We chose Neumann for its sonic characteristics and consistent sound across the entire range of KH monitors. Bigger does not necessarily mean better because balance is more important to us, especially when dealing with 3D object-based mixing in a multi-speaker, surround sound, Dolby Atmos environment,’ says Ubisoft Singapore Audio Director, Erik-Jon Evangelista.
Consistency was also a factor. The set-up allows the team’s mixes to translate more reliably across a wide range of consumer systems. ‘To us, it is much more important to sound the same across more systems than to only sound amazing on one,’ Evangelista adds.
For Ubisoft Singapore, audio is at the heart of immersion, just as visuals draw players into a world. A misplaced sound can instantly break immersion, while accurate, well-crafted audio deepens the emotional connection and gameplay experience.
The Dolby Atmos set-up in Studio Blue allows the team to place sounds more precisely in three-dimensional space, making it easier for players to interpret cues–such as an enemy approaching from behind or above–that stereo or traditional surround cannot replicate. ‘Games, much like films, are about escapism,’ Ow says. ‘People dive into them to step away from reality for a while, and the heart of that experience lies in immersion – if something sounds off or does not feel natural, it breaks that immersion immediately.’
‘Audio is what makes a horror game scary, what makes an empty street feel alive, and what reinforces every action on screen,’ Evangelista says. ‘At its best, audio reinforces atmosphere, tension or emotion without drawing attention to itself.’
Over the past 17 years, Ubisoft Singapore has expanded from fewer than 100 employees to nearly 500. The audio team has grown from just four members to 12, while its sound facilities have expanded from a single studio to three.
‘Being part of this growth and putting Singapore on the global gaming map is a source of pride,’ Evangelista says. ‘We are committed to keeping the studio at the forefront of game development in Southeast Asia, continuously pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling.’
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