More than 1,200 Ubisoft employees are currently taking part in a three-day international strike following the company’s latest round of restructuring, studio closures, and layoffs. The strike began on February 10 and runs through February 12, with the bulk of participation centered in France and additional activity reported at Ubisoft Milan. These details were confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz by a union representative for Solidaires Informatique at Ubisoft Paris, Marc Rutschlé.
With the involvement of 1200+ people, the scale alone makes this one of the most significant labor actions Ubisoft has faced in recent years. The game development industry has always faced layoffs and sudden wage cuts, with developers always uncertain about the future.
A Breaking Point After “Final” Cost-Cutting Measures
This strike did not come out of nowhere.
On January 21, Ubisoft announced what it described as its “final” round of cost-cutting measures. That move included the closure of several studios and the cancellation of six games. For employees, the word “final” didn’t land as reassuring. Instead, it reinforced the feeling that instability has become the norm.
Solidaires Informatique had already held a protest on January 22, calling management decisions “absurd” and signaling that further action could follow. This week’s coordinated strike is the “further action” they mentioned.
Rutschlé also voiced his opinion regarding the situation. He criticized the CEO, Yves Guillemot, for not understanding his company or employees. He said to GamesIndustry:
At this stage, it seems clear to us that Yves Guillemot has no knowledge or understanding of his company or its employees.
To which he added,
The company is continuing its cost reduction and layoff plan. Our teams are already working under pressure, often understaffed. After several years without pay rises (or very small increases), we understand that once again, employees will not receive a raise this year.
Beyond layoffs and project cancellations, Ubisoft’s return-to-office mandate has also been a point of conflict. The company requires staff to work on-site five days a week, a policy that has already triggered backlash before. In September 2024, more than 700 Ubisoft France workers staged a three-day strike over the same issue.
For Ubisoft, the timing is sensitive. The company hasn’t had the best couple of years, and most of its big titles have flopped. The company is in the middle of a reshaping and is trying to stabilize financially after a difficult stretch.
But for the people building its games, stability looks very different. And right now, more than 1,200 of them have decided that walking out is the only way to make that clear.
How Ubisoft leadership responds in the coming days will likely determine whether this remains a three-day disruption or becomes part of a longer, more public labor fight.
