Ubisoft has announced the closure of Ubisoft Halifax in Nova Scotia. The studio, which made mobile projects in the Rainbow Six and Assassin’s Creed franchises, is shutting down operations shortly after publicly announcing the formation of a union.
Ubisoft has announced the closure of Ubisoft Halifax in Nova Scotia. The studio, which made mobile projects in the Rainbow Six and Assassin’s Creed franchises, is shutting down operations shortly after publicly announcing the formation of a union.
According to Engadget, the company claims that the decision is not related to union activity and is part of a «company-wide effort to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and reduce costs.» Ubisoft said the closures will affect 71 positions, and employees are promised severance pay and additional career support.
The studio announced the union on December 22: 61 employees have joined the Game & Media Workers Guild of Canada. Representatives of the team said that 73,8% of employees voted in favor of the union and that it was a «relief» after a long period of uncertainty. Now the site is being liquidated, and the union is demanding an explanation of when exactly the decision to close the studio was made and whether alternatives were considered.
Ubisoft adds that the optimization has been ongoing for 24 months and spans various departments, but the timing of the union has already sparked discussions about a possible union crackdown in game development.
In October, Ubisoft launched a «voluntary transition program» with buyouts for some Massive Entertainment employees. In recent years, the company has closed or reduced offices in San Francisco, London and Leamington, and its staff in 2024, according to public data, has decreased by 8%.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how Community Influencer and Ubisoft Creator Agent Oleksandr Samoilenko spoke about open vacancies in the Ukrainian office of the gaming company Ubisoft.
