Ubisoft shuts down another studio; Over 180 employees affected

Ubisoft has shut down another game development studio based in Leamington, UK. Along with that, the company also cut down on staff across Düsseldorf, Stockholm, and Newcastle. Overall, the decision resulted in Ubisoft letting 185 employees go after the downsizing. This comes just a month after the company shut down XDefiant.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to prioritise projects and reduce costs that ensure long-term stability at Ubisoft, we have announced targeted restructurings at Ubisoft Düsseldorf, Ubisoft Stockholm, and Ubisoft Reflections and the permanent closure of the Ubisoft Leamington site,” a spokesperson said talking to Eurogamer.

Reason for Ubisoft's Leamington studio shutdown

As mentioned above, Ubisoft calls the studio shutdown a way to ensure “long-term stability” for the company. Recent works of Ubisoft’s Leamington studios included Star Wars Outlaws, Skull and Bones, and Far Cry 5. Two out of the three games saw a rough launch and heavily underperformed.

The company did not explicitly mention the game, as it labels these layoffs as long-term stability changes, originally caused by underperforming games. Multiple layoffs, game and studio closures, and delays have made fans even more sceptical about Ubisoft.

Assassin's Creed Shadows was delayed with the company doing final tweaks before a full release. While on the surface it should be a sign of more optimisation, people will likely take it as low confidence in the game. The Guillemot family is exploring various options moving forward; one of them includes taking the company private.

Also Read: Ubisoft may be planning significant support for Switch 2: Reports

FAQ

Why was Assassin's Creed Shadows delayed?

Following playtests, the studio revealed they needed a little more time to implement suggestions from the playtesting. However, the delay was just a month long, with many wondering if any changes might be possible during this time.

Did Ubisoft shut down more studios?

Along with the current closure of the Leamington studio, last month, an official announcement confirmed San Francisco and Osaka studios have been shut down. This came after XDefiant failed to retain player count and the company ended services in just a few months.