'Below Any Reasonable Standard': Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Developers Fighting to Save Jobs, Secure Fair Severance Pay at Ubisoft Barcelona

Striking unit astatine Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced co-developer Ubisoft Barcelona person slammed the company's archetypal severance wage connection arsenic "below immoderate resonable standard," aft employees were told that up to 51 jobs were being eliminated.

Layoffs astatine Ubisoft Barcelona were announced past period arsenic portion of a wider question of occupation losses crossed the firm. 380 unit are being fto spell successful this latest downsizing, dispersed crossed Ubisoft offices successful Winnipeg and Belgrade (which volition adjacent completely), successful Barcelona, and successful the company's planetary publishing division.

At Ubisoft Barcelona, up to 51 jobs person been placed astatine hazard arsenic Ubisoft plans to chopped the team's size and restrict it to moving conscionable connected the Rainbow Six franchise successful future, IGN understands.

The plight of Barcelona's unit has sparked headlines, with the apt occupation losses contrasted against the commercialized occurrence of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, which sold an awesome 2 cardinal copies successful conscionable 24 hours. While improvement connected Resynced was led by Ubisoft Singapore, Barcelona contributed importantly to the title. It has antecedently been reported that the institution handled Resynced's underwater diving side-missions, though IGN understands that the workplace besides developed a swathe of different locations, quests, and contracts.

Several main quests were handled by Barcelona's Assassin's Creed squad during much than 2 years of Resynced development, including reportedly respective showcased during pre-release hands-on previews, alongside improvement connected a circumstantial in-game portion (Gibara), positive enactment connected force combat AI and bosses.

Yesterday, arsenic negotiations began to prevention immoderate roles and unafraid just severance wage for those leaving, remaining Ubisoft Barcelona unit joined a onslaught with astir 90 radical successful attendance. Photos from the walkout amusement a ample banner that reads "Corporate Greed" successful the benignant of "Assassin's Creed," and flags for the CGT (General Confederation of Labor) union.

Now, unit impacted by the planned redundancies person spoken to IGN astir the existent situation, and said that a further onslaught volition instrumentality spot tomorrow, Thursday, July 16.

"The severance wage they're offering is acold beneath the minimum expected, and beneath what they've offered for antecedently laid disconnected employees from the studio," 1 Ubisoft Barcelona worker told IGN.

"There are inactive discussions astir redeeming immoderate of the jobs, and it's apt that astatine slightest immoderate volition determination to Rainbow Six, but the occupation positions themselves look rather definite, and the Assassin's Creed squad has been surely cut."

Ubisoft has chopped hundreds of unit and afloat closed galore studios successful caller months, with 2026 already disconnected to a brutal start. In January, the institution canceled six games including its Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake and closed 2 Ubisoft studios wholly (Ubisoft Stockholm and Ubisoft Halifax), portion making layoffs astatine its bureau successful Abu Dhabi, astatine Trials workplace RedLynx and astatine Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora outfit Massive Entertainment. Just a week aft that, Ubisoft announced plans to ditch 200 jobs astatine its institution office successful Paris, starring to protests wrong the French capital.

In February, Ubisoft was forced to reassure fans that its long-awaited Splinter Cell remake remained successful improvement aft 40 jobs were eliminated astatine its workplace Ubisoft Toronto. Then, successful March, Ubisoft confirmed that 105 unit were acceptable to depart seasoned Tom Clancy crippled workplace Red Storm Entertainment, arsenic portion of a determination that downsized the workplace permanently, pursuing 3 erstwhile waves of layoffs astatine the institution since 2022.

"We are alert of the onslaught enactment announced astatine Ubisoft Barcelona and respect employees' close to explicit their views,” a Ubisoft spokesperson told IGN successful a connection today. "Ubisoft has initiated a projected restructuring of Ubisoft Barcelona arsenic portion of broader efforts to trim costs and absorption resources connected strategical priorities. Under this proposal, the workplace would absorption solely connected Rainbow Six projects, which whitethorn interaction up to 51 employees.

"This remains a proposal, and nary last determination volition beryllium made until the corporate consultation process has concluded. We are committed to constructive dialog with worker representatives and to supporting employees passim this period."

Image credit: CGT

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social