Ubisoft Layoffs: Another Blow to the Video Games Industry
Ubisoft continues to reduce its workforce with over 100 staff laid off
Ubisoft, a prominent player in the video games industry, has recently announced yet another wave of layoffs. More than 100 employees have been let go, adding to the growing list of job losses within the sector. The affected departments include visual effects and IT, highlighting the widespread impact of this downsizing effort. These unfortunate events have taken place within six months of a previous round of layoffs that affected the company’s customer service staff.
Job cuts hit various departments in Ubisoft
Among the latest layoffs, 98 individuals from Ubisoft’s Canadian business administrative services and IT departments have been affected, as well as employees from the Montreal-based visual effects studio, Hybride. This represents around 2% of the total Canadian team. The move comes as Ubisoft aims to streamline its operations and enhance efficiency in the long term.
Hybride’s extensive contributions to visual effects in movies and TV shows
Hybride, known for its expertise in visual effects, has provided its services to numerous successful projects. The studio has worked on popular Star Wars shows and films such as The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and Andor. Additionally, they have contributed to Disney’s live-action remakes of Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, as well as the sci-fi movie Arrival. Hybride has also worked on video games, including the prehistoric FPS spin-off Far Cry Primal.
Ubisoft’s statement and support for affected employees
Ubisoft released a statement acknowledging the restructuring measures and expressing its commitment to providing comprehensive support for the impacted staff members. Although difficult decisions had to be made, the company expressed gratitude for the contributions made by those affected and emphasized that the restructuring will not impact its production teams.
Continued challenges and controversies at Ubisoft
This year has been tumultuous for Ubisoft, with ongoing issues and controversies. In May, the company faced 60 job losses in its UK and US customer service teams. The planned closure of its London mobile studio comprising over 50 developers was also reported in September. Earlier in the year, Ubisoft experienced its first staff strike in response to concerns over pay and working conditions. The company’s unveiling of plans to utilize an AI dialogue-writing tool and its involvement in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) received backlash from developers and players alike.
Impact on the wider industry
The video games industry as a whole has witnessed a significant number of layoffs and restructurings. Well-known companies such as Bungie, BioWare, CD Projekt Red, Frontier, Creative Assembly, PlayStation, Epic Games, Microsoft, and various studios under Embracer Group have been affected. Embracer Group’s restructuring efforts have resulted in the closure of Volition, Campfire Cabal, and potential closure of Free Radical, along with layoffs at Beamdog, Cryptic Studios, Crystal Dynamics, Zen Studios, and more.
Conclusion
Ubisoft’s recent layoffs add to the growing list of job losses in the video games industry. The impact on employees and the industry as a whole is significant, highlighting the challenges faced by companies and the need for ongoing reevaluation and adaptation. It remains to be seen how these developments will shape the future of Ubisoft and the wider gaming landscape.