In December 2025, the developers at Ubisoft Halifax--the studio behind the mobile game Assassin's Creed Rebellion--successfully voted to unionize and join the Game & Media Workers Guild of Canada. Now, less than a month later, Ubisoft is shutting down Ubisoft Halifax and laying off 70 people.
According to Video Games Chronicle, Ubisoft has denied that the closure of the studio has anything to do with the employees' unionization efforts. The publisher also stated through a spokesperson that the decision to close Ubisoft Halifax had already been made before the union vote was taken.
"Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs," Ubisoft's spokesperson said in a statement to VGC. "As part of this, Ubisoft has made the difficult decision to close its Halifax studio ... 71 positions will be affected. We are committed to supporting all impacted team members during this transition with resources, including comprehensive severance packages and additional career assistance."
Late last year, Ubisoft came under fire for asking employees to accept "voluntary career transition," or in other words, an early layoff. Assassin's Creed executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté also left the company after nearly two decades, and he has since stated that it wasn't his choice to leave.
In November, Ubisoft told investors that its earnings in Q2 of its fiscal year were up 39% year-over-year. The company also stated that the Assassin's Creed franchise exceeded its expectations. That apparently wasn't enough to prevent any further job losses at its partner studios.
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According to Video Games Chronicle, Ubisoft has denied that the closure of the studio has anything to do with the employees' unionization efforts. The publisher also stated through a spokesperson that the decision to close Ubisoft Halifax had already been made before the union vote was taken.
"Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs," Ubisoft's spokesperson said in a statement to VGC. "As part of this, Ubisoft has made the difficult decision to close its Halifax studio ... 71 positions will be affected. We are committed to supporting all impacted team members during this transition with resources, including comprehensive severance packages and additional career assistance."
Late last year, Ubisoft came under fire for asking employees to accept "voluntary career transition," or in other words, an early layoff. Assassin's Creed executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté also left the company after nearly two decades, and he has since stated that it wasn't his choice to leave.
In November, Ubisoft told investors that its earnings in Q2 of its fiscal year were up 39% year-over-year. The company also stated that the Assassin's Creed franchise exceeded its expectations. That apparently wasn't enough to prevent any further job losses at its partner studios.
Source