After having just lately introduced that it will be shedding 185 workers alongside shutting down certainly one of its studios, Ubisoft has seemingly referred to the transfer in an inside memo as one made for “discovering extra environment friendly working fashions and to make sure our long-term success.”
In keeping with Insider Gaming, the inner memo revealed a breakdown of the latest layoffs; round 65 workers from Ubisoft Dusseldorf, 100 from Ubisoft Leamington and Reflections, and round 20 from Ubisoft Stockholm had been let go. Of those studios, Ubisoft Leamington was the one one closed down.
The memo additionally talks in regards to the reasoning behind the layoffs, which manufacturing zone 4 managing director Benedikt Grindel ascribes to wanting to enhance the studios’ operational effectivity.
“I perceive the uncertainty these adjustments will carry,” mentioned Grindel. “We’re dedicated to supporting everybody who could also be impacted throughout this transition. Let me guarantee you, these choices weren’t made frivolously. We consider they’re important to enhance our operational effectivity and make sure the long-term sustainability of our studios, the zone and the corporate.”
Manufacturing Zone 3 and Ubisoft Stockholm managing director Thomas Andren had additionally spoken to the workforce, speaking in regards to the issue of the choice.
“We all know that this determination impacts extra than simply the studio and its initiatives; it impacts people-our colleagues, teammates, and buddies. We deeply perceive how tough that is, and supporting everybody via this transition is our utmost precedence,” he mentioned.
“Whereas tough, the adjustments introduced yesterday are focused at us discovering extra environment friendly working fashions and to make sure our long-term success,” continued Andren’s message to the workforce. “That is pushed by a powerful conviction: our capacity to maintain creating and working distinctive, highly effective, and common manufacturers that stretch past video video games.”
Ubisoft Leamington was initially often called FreeStyleGames, and was liable for titles just like the DJ Hero franchise earlier than being acquired by Ubisoft. After the acquisition, the studio’s title obtained modified, and it turned a assist studio for main Ubisoft releases, together with Far Cry 5 and Star Wars Outlaws.
“As a part of our ongoing efforts to prioritize initiatives and scale back prices that guarantee long-term stability at Ubisoft, we’ve got introduced focused restructurings at Ubisoft Düsseldorf, Ubisoft Stockholm and Ubisoft Reflections and the everlasting closure of Ubisoft Leamington website,” mentioned Ubisoft in a press release in regards to the layoffs. “Sadly, this could influence 185 workers general. We’re deeply grateful for his or her contributions and are dedicated to supporting them via this transition.”
This transfer in direction of extra “effectivity” may be part of the rumoured plans between Ubisoft founders the Guillemot household and Tencent to forge a brand new enterprise that makes use of a few of Ubisoft’s belongings to extend the corporate’s general worth. The corporate has additionally beforehand introduced that it’s hiring advisors to discover how extra worth might be extracted from the corporate’s varied belongings.
Ubisoft is at the moment gearing as much as launch Murderer’s Creed Shadows on March 20. It is going to be coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Sequence X/S, and can launch alongside the Animus Hub, which is able to function the brand new house for the franchise going ahead. For extra particulars in regards to the recreation, take a look at the builders speaking about the truth that one of many protagonists won’t have murderer skills, in addition to a showcase of the sport’s new accessibility options and choices.
