Publisher Riot Games has announced a leadership change at its Japanese subsidiary, with Shinji Komiyama appointed as Executive Officer and President. Komiyama replaces outgoing chief Yasushi Fujimoto, who will officially leave the company on 5 November 2026 after eight years and eight months with the organisation.
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Komiyama returns to lead the domestic office after serving as Director of APAC Publishing & Esports Operations at Riot Games Services in Singapore. He previously served as Riot’s Country Manager and General Manager for Japan between 2016 and 2022. Prior to joining Riot in 2015, Komiyama spent over 16 years at Microsoft, leading Xbox localisation, product engineering, and regional Asian market operations.
Fujimoto joined Riot Games Japan in March 2018 as Director of Publishing before assuming the role of Country Manager and President in March 2022. Like his successor, Fujimoto possesses a deep background at Microsoft, where he spent nearly 17 years heading marketing divisions for Windows, Surface, and Office in Japan.
Reflecting on his tenure, Fujimoto highlighted the growth of competitive PC gaming in Japan, noting that titles such as VALORANT and League of Legends helped transition esports from a niche segment into a mainstream domestic cultural phenomenon during his time with the company.
The executive transition occurs at a pivotal operational juncture for Riot Games in East Asia, following the recent consolidation of the 32-team VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) 2027 partner ecosystem. In his reinstated role, Komiyama will oversee Japan’s publishing team while coordinating with Riot’s global leadership and domestic corporate partners to drive title expansion and commercial activations.
Japan has emerged as one of the most commercially critical and highest-viewership markets for VALORANT globally, with prominent organisations such as Crazy Raccoon and ZETA DIVISION taking center stage. Komiyama’s dual expertise in APAC publishing operations and Japanese country management aligns with Riot’s broader goal of maintaining deep regional stakeholder integration while expanding its esports and gaming ecosystem across Asia-Pacific.
