Employees at Ubisoft Barcelona have initiated a strike to protest impending layoffs, citing inadequate offers from the company in the wake of the successful launch of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. The strike, organized by the Coordinadora Sindical del Videojuego (CSVI) union, is set to continue through Thursday, July 16, with negotiations aimed at preventing the termination of 51 employees.
Workers are demanding the cancellation of the proposed layoffs, a return to the studio's previous 60 percent remote working policy, the fulfillment of promised promotions and raises, and enhanced job security. This action follows a similar strike in February of the previous year, which occurred in response to wider layoffs affecting over 500 Ubisoft employees across various studios worldwide.
A Ubisoft Barcelona employee affected by the proposed cuts stated that the company's current offer "goes below any reasonable standard." Approximately 90 individuals participated in a strike rally outside the studio, with plans for a new rally on Thursday during further negotiations. The employee emphasized that the offered compensation is significantly lower than expected under the circumstances.
According to the employee, the Ubisoft Barcelona team, comprising fewer than 50 people, was responsible for substantial elements of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. Their contributions included all swimming systems, underwater mechanics, biomes, and animal behavior, as well as underwater wrecks, smuggler dens, three main quests, four Assassin contracts, and all naval contracts. They also developed the Gibara region and associated locations, shared boss development with Ubisoft Quebec, and handled all combat enemy AI until Ubisoft Quebec joined the project. This work was completed over two and a half years.
The employee also expressed concern that Ubisoft has indicated a lack of interest in involving Ubisoft Barcelona in future Assassin's Creed projects. "Right now, the only hope we have as a team to ever contribute to an AC game again is from the community's pressure, if they think that they liked what we've done. Otherwise, it will only be [Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series] from now on," they stated. The team is reportedly seeking community support to influence future project assignments.
Despite these contributions and the remake's strong performance, with Ubisoft reporting 2 million copies sold on launch day, July 9, the studio faces these job cuts. The game also achieved the top spot on Twitch on its release day and recorded a peak of 99,451 concurrent players on Steam within 24 hours, marking a new record for the Assassin's Creed franchise on the platform. The CSVI union criticized the company's justification for the layoffs, a "strategic shift," stating, "After an intense production, the company claims a 'strategic shift' to justify these layoffs. After years of dedication to our team, the company has turned its back on us. We will never see the fruits of our labour, and the reward for our hard work will be the loss of our jobs."
The situation highlights a recurring trend in the game development industry, where layoffs can occur regardless of a game's commercial success, leading to widespread commentary from developers and industry observers.