Ubisoft has announced the closure of two of its development studios, located in Winnipeg and Belgrade, alongside further layoffs affecting hundreds of employees across the company. These measures are part of an ongoing effort by Ubisoft to reduce costs.
The cuts have notably impacted Ubisoft's Barcelona studio, where reports indicate that up to 51 employees, representing 28% of its workforce, have been let go. As part of this restructuring, the Barcelona studio will now focus exclusively on the Rainbow Six franchise, moving away from its previous work on titles such as Assassin's Creed, The Crew, Ghost Recon, and Immortals: Fenyx Rising.
This wave of layoffs and closures adds to a period of significant internal change for Ubisoft. The founding Guillemot family is reportedly working to maintain control of the company amidst these widespread job losses. Simultaneously, Ubisoft is increasing its investment in generative artificial intelligence technologies, despite continued reservations from within the gaming community regarding its adoption in game development.
Internally, Ubisoft has reorganized into five "creative houses," with each overseeing a segment of the company's intellectual properties. Vantage Studios, headed by Charlie Guillemot, son of CEO Yves Guillemot, is the largest and only named creative house within this structure.
The recent shakeup has also seen the departure of several high-profile creative leads, including former Assassin's Creed franchise lead Marc-Alexis Côté, and former Assassin's Creed Hexe creative director Clint Hocking and game director Benoit Richer. Côté has since initiated legal action against Ubisoft, seeking nearly $1 million and alleging wrongful termination.
Further reductions are anticipated within Ubisoft's American operations, according to reports from French publication LesEchos. This publication will provide updates as more information becomes available.