Ubisoft Shuts Down 2 More Studios, Lays Off Up to 380 Employees in Latest Round of Cost Cuts

Ubisoft is shuttering two more of its studios and laying off employees as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts, as per several media reports. The company will close its studios in Winnipeg and Belgrade, reports said, and restructure its team based in Barcelona. The latest round of cuts at the French game developer will impact as many as 380 roles across its studios.

The Assassin's Creed maker undertook major company-wide restructuring late last year as its share price fell drastically after a string of misfiring big-budget releases. In January, Ubisoft announced it was splitting into five creative units, each in charge of a separate portfolio of games. The company cancelled six games, including Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, and shut down its studios in Stockholm and Halifax.

Ubisoft Winnipeg, Belgrade Shut Down

The cost cutting measures have continued, with further layoffs expected across the organisation's global publishing division, as per IGN. Ubisoft's Barcelona team, too, will reorganise to focus solely on the Rainbow Six franchise.

The new round of cuts does not include any project cancellations.

Ubisoft Winnipeg worked on developing the company's Snowdrop and Anvil game engines and was involved in the production of games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Far Cry 6. As per CBC, the studio's closure has affected 65 employees.

Ubisoft Belgrade was established in 2016 and has since worked on projects like Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands and Breakpoint, Steep, The Crew 2, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, Riders Republic, and Skull & Bones. With the studio's closure, around 100 employees will be laid off, as per Insider Gaming.

Earlier this year, Ubisoft also cancelled a co-op Assassin's Creed game in the works at its Annecy studio. The game, reportedly called Assassin's Creed League, was a cooperative adventure that would have allowed up to four players to team up in possibly the same feudal Japan setting seen in last year's Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Last year, the company also reportedly nixed an Assassin's Creed game set in the aftermath of the American Civil War, fearing backlash and controversy amidst sensitive political climate in the US.