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Publisher Ubisoft is laying off employees at its development studio Ubisoft Barcelona, many of whom worked on the just-launched Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced.
These layoffs were planned and announced a while ago, but it's a story that's now resurfacing in the wake of the remake's arrival.
A total of 51 members of staff are on the chopping block. One person affected by the layoffs spoke to Insider Gaming on the matter:
"These layoffs coincide with the broader context of ongoing workplace issues. This is not an isolated event; it reflects a pattern of constant mistreatment, loss of talent, forced departures resulting from the erosion of workers’ rights, and an increasingly top-down management culture that leaves employees with little voice in decisions affecting their work."
Ubisoft Barcelona has been on strike since 30th June, opposing the layoffs and demanding improvements to its working environment, including the execution of previously agreed promotions, a hybrid work-from-home model, and more. The strike will continue through to 16th July.
The layoffs are part of Ubisoft's major restructure, which has seen many other redundancies, studio closures, and project cancellations as the publisher aims to correct course.
It's obviously a huge shame to see people out of work, especially having just completed a project that has gone down very well among critics and players. Hopefully those affected land on their feet.