Ubisoft, the publisher of games like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, is reportedly seeing an unprecedented number of employee departures.
According to a report by Axios, Ubisoft has seen loads of developers leave the company in the past 18 months. Five of the top 25 credited people from Far Cry 6 have left the company, while 12 of the top 50 names cited in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have taken off as well. It’s common for developers to leave a studio after a big project, but people within Ubisoft claim the steady stream of departures is unlike any before.
Many within Ubisoft refer to the resignations as ‘the great exodus’ or ‘the cut artery’ according to Axios.
In 2020, Ubisoft faced a significant reckoning in the form of #MeToo allegations, with many within the company speaking out against alleged abuse and sexual harassment cases within the workplace. Over the summer, more than 1,000 current and former employees signed an accountability letter. One anonymous Ubisoft employee told Axios that the ongoing allegations were having an impact.
“I think abuse and toxicity are contributing factors but not deciding ones for most,” they said via Axios. “Women and people of color experience them as deciding factors.”
Employees at Ubisoft say they've never seen a wave of departures like the past year's.
I spoke to 12 current/former workers and management about what's happening, how it's impacting development–and what's being done about ithttps://t.co/EwUg4zNNDj
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) December 20, 2021
Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot stated that the company would commit to major changes in light of the reports.
On the surface, Ubisoft appears to be operating as usual. The announcement of a Splinter Cell remake turned many heads, though the company’s new NFT program garnered more than its fair share of criticism.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
