Ubisoft closes studio in Canada two weeks after unionizing

Ubisoft has closed the study Halifax (Canada) 16 days after forming the first labor union of the company in North America, affecting more than 70 members of your template.

In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, a Ubisoft spokesperson alleged that the closure is due to a process of “measures to optimize operations”which began after the Covid-19 pandemic, before the Halifax unionization process.

“We are committed to supporting all affected team members during this transition with resources, including comprehensive compensation and additional professional assistance,” the video game company said in a statement.

The Ubisfot Halifax studio announced last December that 61 of its workers had joined the Video Game and Media Workers Guild of Canadaa move that the studio’s lead programmer, Jon Huffman, called “great relief.”

Currently the Canadian studio was working on mobile adaptations of titles such as Assasin’s Creed o Rainbow Six.

This latest closure is part of a series of cuts and layoffs at the company, such as its RedLynx in Iceland or its Swedish subsidiary Massive Entertainment.