Ubisoft Restructures Operations and Shuts Down Studios Amid Ongoing Layoffs
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Ubisoft is closing Winnipeg and Belgrade studios and restructuring Barcelona, resulting in approximately 380 layoffs as part of a broader corporate cost-cutting initiative.
Ubisoft is once again shrinking its footprint across the globe. According to reports from Insider Gaming, Game Developer, and VGC, the publisher is closing two smaller locations, Ubisoft Winnipeg and Ubisoft Belgrade, while heavily restructuring its Barcelona office. The decision impacts approximately 380 employees, with internal announcements communicated to staff during management meetings. These closures and downsizings follow earlier moves this year that already affected studios like Red Storm Entertainment, Halifax, and Stockholm, highlighting a relentless period of contraction for the company.
The cuts reach directly into some of Ubisoft's most prominent teams and active projects. Beyond the technical support lost from Winnipeg and Belgrade, the restructuring has hit key personnel working on Rainbow Six Siege and the upcoming Rainbow Six Siege Mobile. Ubisoft Barcelona is shifting its entire focus solely to supporting the Rainbow Six franchise, narrowing its scope significantly. This wave of layoffs marks the third major reduction at the publisher in 2024, raising serious concerns among players and industry observers regarding worker stability and the long-term health of the teams behind these live service pillars.
This continuous shrinkage is part of a broader, aggressive cost-cutting strategy following a major investment by Tencent last year and the creation of the Vantage Studios subsidiary. As major publishers increasingly pivot toward consolidating resources around a handful of guaranteed money-makers like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, the human cost continues to mount. For the gaming community, these recurring restructurings cast a long shadow over the future of the franchises we play every day, as talented developers bear the brunt of corporate pivots. Original reporting comes via Eurogamer.
Tags: Ubisoft, Layoffs, Industry News, Game Development, Rainbow Six Siege
Original article: Eurogamer