Ubisoft reportedly look to cut 100 more jobs by proposing voluntary redundancies at studios including lead Anno devs Ubisoft Mainz
Ubisoft is discussing a voluntary departure plan at three German studios, reportedly aiming to reduce their combined workforce by about 100 people. The proposal adds to a wider period of job cuts and restructuring at the publisher, with Ubisoft Mainz among the studios affected.
The discussions involve Ubisoft Düsseldorf, Ubisoft Berlin and Ubisoft Mainz, and began last week with a works council representing staff. Ubisoft Mainz leads development of the Anno series, most recently Anno 117: Pax Romana; Düsseldorf and Berlin have contributed to Rainbow Six Siege and Rayman Legends Retold. Ubisoft has previously said it hoped to grow its German workforce to more than 1,000 by the end of 2023.
- Ubisoft is discussing voluntary departures at three German studios.
- The reported target is about 100 staff.
- Anno developer Ubisoft Mainz is among the studios affected.
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Ubisoft is a video game publisher with several development studios in Germany. Ubisoft Mainz leads work on the Anno strategy games, while teams in Düsseldorf and Berlin have worked on other Ubisoft titles, including Rainbow Six Siege and Rayman Legends Retold.
In Germany, works councils represent employees in discussions with employers. The proposed voluntary departures are part of wider changes at Ubisoft, and could affect the size of the teams making its games. Earlier, the company had said it hoped to expand its German workforce to more than 1,000 people by the end of 2023.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ubisoft can argue that voluntary redundancies are a less coercive way to reduce costs than compulsory layoffs, while giving employees more choice and time to plan. If the company’s structure and staffing no longer match its needs, a targeted reduction could help protect its financial health and the jobs and projects that remain.
The case against
Employees and their representatives can argue that voluntary departures still put pressure on staff and risk losing experienced people whose skills are hard to replace, potentially weakening the affected studios and their games. They may also question why workers should bear the costs of restructuring after Ubisoft previously aimed to expand its German workforce, and press for alternatives that preserve jobs.