Ubisoft has announced another significant organizational restructuring, leading to the closure of two studios and hundreds of layoffs. According to a report by Insider Gaming, the company informed staff of its evolution to "simplify how it operates, reduce its cost base and strengthen the company for the long term." This initiative has resulted in the closure of its studios in Winnipeg and Belgrade.
The Ubisoft Winnipeg studio, which opened in January 2019, provided support for titles such as Rainbow Six Mobile, Far Cry 6, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Its closure reportedly affects 65 employees. Ubisoft Belgrade, established in 2016, contributed to several projects, including the recently revealed Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and its closure impacts approximately 100 employees.
In addition to studio closures, layoffs have been announced at Ubisoft Barcelona, impacting 51 employees, and Ubisoft San Francisco, where an unspecified number of employees, described as "dozens," are affected. Ubisoft also plans to restructure its Barcelona studio to concentrate on Rainbow Six projects. In total, the internal message indicates that up to 380 employees could be impacted by these changes.
This latest round of restructuring follows a period of significant changes within Ubisoft that began in 2024. These include the formation of the subsidiary Vantage Studios to oversee major franchises like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, and an organizational "reset" in January that led to the cancellation of several games, such as the long-anticipated remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
Over the past two years, Ubisoft has closed studios in Leamington and Halifax. The internal team responsible for the well-received Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was also disbanded due to underwhelming sales. Layoffs have also been proposed at studios like Massive Entertainment, the developer of The Division, and RedLynx, known for the Trials series. Ghost Recon developer Red Storm Entertainment lost 100 employees in March and has ceased active game development.
The news comes shortly after Ubisoft showcased upcoming titles such as Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced and Rayman Legends Retold at Summer Game Fest. While the company has other Assassin's Creed projects in development, along with the long-in-progress Beyond Good & Evil 2 and a Splinter Cell remake, the future pipeline remains uncertain following these organizational shifts.