Ubisoft To Close Studio, Lays Off 185 Staff

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Summary

  • Ubisoft plans to close its UK studio in Leamington, impacting 185 jobs overall.
  • Various UK Ubisoft studios will see layoffs, with an unspecified number to be retained under remote contracts.
  • Ubisoft’s 2024 struggles persist, with talks of a Tencent buyout looming due to financial burdens.

2025 kicks off with more challenges for Ubisoft, as they’ve revealed their intention to shut down their UK studio located in Leamington. This decision will result in the termination of approximately 185 positions scattered across different studios.

Ubisoft Leamington, originally known as FreeStyleGames, is a team made up of developers who previously worked at Rare and Codemasters. They have recently been contributing to the development of The Division series, and have also supported projects like Star Wars Outlaws, Skull and Bones, and Far Cry 5.

Various Ubisoft Studios In The UK Will Also Be Affected

A “modest” number of employees from Leamington will continue working under remote arrangements. Additionally, Ubisoft offices in Düsseldorf (previously Blue Byte), Stockholm, and Newcastle-based Ubisoft Reflections are set to undergo reductions, but the exact number of positions impacted remains unclear.

According to a statement provided to Eurogamer, a representative from Ubisoft stated that in order to focus on key initiatives and cut expenses for long-term financial security at Ubisoft, they have announced restructurings at Ubisoft Düsseldorf, Ubisoft Stockholm, and Ubisoft Reflections, as well as the permanent shutdown of Ubisoft Leamington. Sadly, this decision will affect 185 employees in total. The company expresses its appreciation for their work and is dedicated to helping them navigate this transition period.

It would be ideal if all those impacted manage to get back on their feet swiftly amidst the challenging gaming industry of today, but in reality, it may prove more difficult to accomplish than simply stated.

2024 has been a challenging year for Ubisoft, with one setback following another. The release of Star Wars Outlaws, one of their major projects, fell short of sales expectations. Moreover, XDefiant, their free-to-play arcade shooter, was discontinued after just under a year; the servers will be shut down in June.

There are reports suggesting that Ubisoft might be under negotiations for a takeover by the massive Chinese corporation Tencent. However, it’s also been mentioned that the Guillemot family could be posing obstacles in these discussions.

Upcoming from Ubisoft is Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, a game that’s faced two delays so far. There’s much anticipation surrounding this new installment in the series, as it aims to create a stir on sales charts and alleviate some of Ubisoft’s financial challenges.

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2025-01-27 23:08