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Ubisoft has announced a new wave of organizational restructurings resulting in the closures of two studios and hundreds of layoffs.
As reported by Insider Gaming, the publisher sent an internal message to staff stating how it has been evolving to “simplify how it operates, reduce its cost base and strengthen the company for the long term.” To that end, it has shuttered its studios in Winnipeg and Belgrade.
Ubisoft Winnipeg opened its doors in January 2019 and served as a support studio for titles such as Rainbow Six Mobile, Far Cry 6, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Winnipeg’s closure has reportedly impacted 65 employees. Ubisoft Belgrade had existed since 2016 and worked on several titles, including the recently revealed Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Roughly 100 employees are reportedly impacted.
Additionally, layoffs have been announced at Ubisoft Barcelona (51 employees) and Ubisoft San Francisco (the exact number of impacted employees is unknown, but was described by Insider Gaming as being “dozens”). The publisher also announced plans to restructure the Barcelona studio to focus on Rainbow Six projects. In total, Ubisoft’s internal message states that up to 380 employees may be affected, according to the message obtained by Insider Gaming.
Today’s news is the latest development in a company-wide restructuring that has persisted since 2024. It follows the formation of subsidiary Vantage Studios to manage the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six franchises and an organizational “reset” announced in January that led to several game cancellations, including the long-awaited remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
In the past two years, Ubisoft has shuttered studios in Leamington and Halifax and disbanded the internal team responsible for the well-received Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown due to underwhelming sales. Ubisoft also proposed layoffs at studios such as The Division developer Massive Entertainment and Trials developer RedLynx. Ghost Recon developer Red Storm Entertainment lost 100 employees in March and, while still in operation, has ceased active game development.
Today’s news comes after Summer Game Fest, where the publisher showcased upcoming titles such as Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced and Rayman Legends Retold. While it has other Assassin’s Creed projects in the works, as well as the long-in-development Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Splinter Cell remake, it’s unclear what Ubisoft has in the pipeline in the foreseeable future.
Game Informer has contacted Ubisoft for comment and will update this story should we receive one.
