Ubisoft Closes Halifax Studio Days After Historic Union Vote
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Ubisoft is shutting down its Halifax mobile studio affecting 71 jobs, just days after staff formed the company's first North American union, though corporate leadership insists the timing is unrelated to the vote.
Ubisoft has announced the closure of Ubisoft Halifax, the Canadian development team behind mobile titles like Assassin's Creed Rebellion and Rainbow Six Mobile. This shutdown arrives just days after the studio's staff successfully voted to unionize, making history as Ubisoft's first North American labor union. Nearly seventy-four percent of the studio voted in favor across design, art, programming, and production departments, with employees emphasizing that the move was meant to foster long-term security and collaboration rather than conflict with management.
Despite the jarring timing, corporate representatives have strongly insisted that the closure has no connection to the unionization effort. In statements provided to GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft attributed the decision to a broader, multi-year corporate restructuring plan aimed at streamlining operations, reducing overhead costs, and adapting to post-pandemic market corrections. The studio closure impacts seventy-one positions, with management promising severance packages and career support resources for affected developers.
This cutback is only the latest in a wave of turbulent structural changes for the publisher. Following sliding stock values and heavy pressure from shareholders, Ubisoft has been aggressively trimming its portfolio and shifting toward a tighter, Tencent-backed core model focused heavily on tentpole franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry. Similar restructuring and redundancy plans have recently touched other prominent internal teams, including Massive Entertainment. As the industry continues to navigate a difficult economic landscape, the community's thoughts remain with the Halifax developers now searching for their next roles.
For the original report and further details on the studio closure, you can read the full coverage on Rock Paper Shotgun.
Tags: Ubisoft, Industry News, Game Development, Unionization, Mobile Gaming
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun