Ubisoft, the game publisher behind franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Very faris laying off 124 employees at its visual effects studio and global IT team.
Hybride, the name of Ubisoft’s Montreal-based visual effects studio, has worked on several renowned projects, including Ahsoka, The Mandalorian, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The groom is afraid, and more. Of the 124 affected workers, Ubisoft spokesperson Antoine Leduc-Labelle says 98 people reside in Canada, representing less than 2 percent of the company’s workforce in the country. (Ubisoft has studios in Montreal, Quebec, Chicoutimi, Toronto, Winnipeg, Halifax and Sherbrooke). Leduc-Labelle adds that this does not affect Ubisoft’s production teams.
“Over the past few months, every team within Ubisoft has been exploring ways to optimize our operations and improve our collective efficiency so that we are better positioned for long-term success,” Leduc-Labelle says in a statement emailed to The edge. “These are not decisions made lightly.” Affected staff members in Canada will receive severance packages, expanded benefits and professional assistance.
In September, IGN reported that Ubisoft’s more than 4,000 employees were forced to return to the company’s offices in Montreal. However, many workers were frustrated with the change, as Ubisoft reportedly promised its employees that they would be able to work from home for the foreseeable future.
