Over 1,200 Ubisoft Employees Strike Across Europe Following Major Restructuring and Remote Work Bans
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Over 1,200 Ubisoft developers in Paris and Milan have launched a three-day strike to protest studio closures, job cuts, pay freezes, and strict new restrictions on remote work.
More than 1,200 Ubisoft developers across studios in Paris and Milan launched a three day strike this week to protest sweeping company cutbacks, studio closures, and a sudden rollback of remote work policies. According to union representatives speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, the industrial action is a direct response to a fresh wave of restructuring that includes canceled projects, hundreds of potential job losses, frozen pay raises, and a strict new mandate replacing hybrid schedules with a meager yearly allowance of remote days. Marc Rutschl, a Ubisoft Paris staffer and representative for the union Solidaires Informatique, pulled no punches regarding leadership, stating that CEO Yves Guillemot appears entirely disconnected from the realities on the floor as teams struggle under intense pressure and chronic understaffing.
The three day walkout, which runs through February 12, follows a rolling series of protests sparked by the corporate restructuring announcements made in late January. While unions such as STJV, CGT, and CFE-CGC issued an international call for solidarity, the most visible actions have taken place in France. For players who rely on these studios to deliver the next generation of massive open world experiences, the strike highlights the deep human cost behind modern AAA game development. As corporate leadership searches for ways to trim budgets, the growing friction between workers and executives points to a turbulent period ahead for some of the industry's biggest franchises.
Original reporting from Edwin Evans-Thirlwell over at Rock Paper Shotgun details the full scope of the European labor action and the ongoing fallout from Ubisoft's strategic shifts. As development cycles grow longer and budgets balloon, studio stability remains a pressing concern for the entire gaming community. When the people building the games we play every day are forced to the picket lines over basic workplace conditions, it serves as a stark reminder that sustainable gaming ecosystems require taking care of the talent behind the screen.
Tags: Ubisoft, Industry News, Labor Unions, Game Development, Business
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun