Ubisoft Announces Voluntary Departure Plan, Affecting 200 Jobs in Paris Offices

Ubisoft is implementing austerity measures that have now reached its French headquarters. The gaming company's stock experienced a nearly 40% drop on Thursday, followed by a 10% recovery by Monday's market close. Ubisoft then announced a voluntary departure plan for its headquarters in Saint-Mandé, located just outside Paris near the Vincennes Forest. The plan targets the 1,100 employees at Ubisoft International headquarters, who work in finance, legal, marketing, communications, public relations, and other roles. The headquarters also houses Ubisoft's global leadership teams. Founded in 1986 by the Guillemot family, Ubisoft has since expanded across Europe, North America, and Asia. Ubisoft is in discussions with unions regarding a potential collective exit agreement that could affect up to 200 employees on French contracts, approximately 18% of the workforce. According to a Ubisoft representative, this agreement is a voluntary departure with a payout, preserving the employee's unemployment rights. The amount of the payout will be negotiated between management and employee representatives. The representative emphasized that the plan is still in its initial stages and will require approval from staff representatives and government officials before implementation. The plan does not affect Ubisoft's studios in Montreuil, Lyon, Bordeaux, Montpellier, or Annecy.

Ubisoft Revamps Operations with Five Creative Houses, Consolidating in Canada and France, Cutting Costs by €200M

Ubisoft, the company behind games like Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia, and Far Cry, recently announced plans to save €200 million over two years. This initiative increases their total spending cuts to €500 million since 2023, through studio closures, layoffs, and voluntary departure incentives. These measures have already affected locations in Japan, the United States, Sweden, and other European countries. The company is now focusing on its operations in Canada and France, which are considered key headquarters locations. Additionally, Ubisoft is ending remote work and requiring employees to return to in-person work. As part of this cost-saving and efficiency drive, Ubisoft will be divided into five smaller "Creative Houses" in a reorganization effective in April. Each house will manage a specific game style from inception to completion and will be responsible for its budget. Some observers suggest this restructuring is a move towards breaking up Ubisoft.

In Case You Missed It

In other gaming industry news, Jonathan Dubinski has been exploring some significant shifts happening within Ubisoft and Rockstar Games. First off, he's dug into the French publisher's ongoing restructuring efforts in his piece "Ubisoft Aims to Cut 18% of Its Paris Team". Published on January 26th, Dubinski discusses Ubisoft's plans to eliminate up to 200 jobs at its Paris headquarters through negotiations with unions. Meanwhile, he also delves into an intriguing possibility for the upcoming GTA 6 in his article "GTA 6 May Arrive Without Physical Versions", published on January 27th. Here, Dubinski explores rumors that Rockstar Games might initially launch the game digitally only, adding yet another layer of excitement to this much-anticipated title. But Ubisoft's shake-ups aren't stopping there. Tech journalist Sophie Laurent has also delved into the company's ambitious plans in her article "Ubisoft Plans to Dismiss Another 200 in Paris", published on January 26th. She examines how these changes could impact over a hundred employees and potentially alter Ubisoft's remote work policies. Head over to Players for Life to read more about all these exciting developments: Ubisoft Aims to Cut 18% of Its Paris Team GTA 6 May Arrive Without Physical Versions and Ubisoft Plans to Dismiss Another 200 in Paris.