Ubisoft proposing 200 voluntary redundancies at France headquarters
French publisher Ubisoft has proposed a round of voluntary redundancies that could result in up to 200 workers departing from the company's headquarters in Paris.
As reported by IGN, Ubisoft has commenced a mutual termination plan that would allow workers to exit the company. The process requires workers to voluntarily choose to depart. Ubisoft must also agree to terms for those departures with employees and trade unions.
The news comes less than a week after Ubisoft outlined plans to restructure its entire business around five creative houses and reduce its fixed cost base by €200 million over the next two years.
The plan, which the company described as a "reset," commenced with widespread project cancellations (including the long-gestating Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake), studio closures, and a return-to-office mandate that will require staff to work in-office five days per week.
"In line with last week's announcements on its new operating model and the acceleration of cost-reduction initiatives, Ubisoft International has initiated discussions regarding a potential Rupture Conventionnelle Collective, a collective, voluntary mutual termination agreement that could involve up to 200 positions at its headquarters in France," a Ubisoft spokesperson told IGN today.
"At this stage, this remains a proposal, and no decision will be final until a collective agreement is reached with employee representatives and validated by French authorities. The proposal applies exclusively to Ubisoft International employees under French contracts and has no impact on other French entities or Ubisoft teams worldwide."
Ubisoft is no stranger to cost cutting. The company occupied itself in recent years by making robust layoffs, shuttering studios around the globe, and cancelling a number of projects.
It has also thrown its weight behind generative AI technology in recent months, and claims its new-look business will be focused on "open-world adventures" and "GaaS-native experiences" bolstered by accelerated investments in player-facing generative AI.
