Ubisoft talent are shaming upper management, mass exodus expected despite layoffs

Ubisoft's latest cost-cutting measure has tanked morale at the publisher to a point where development talent is now shaming upper management.

Ubisoft talent are shaming upper management, mass exodus expected despite layoffs
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Tech and Science Editor
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2-minute read time
TL;DR: Ubisoft's third phase of restructuring aims to save 200 million euros by 2028 through studio closures and layoffs, following previous cost-cutting efforts. This financial strategy has triggered internal backlash, with employees publicly criticizing management and anticipating a significant talent exodus amid ongoing instability.

Ubisoft's announcement of an internal restructuring, which involves numerous studio closures and game cancellations, has sent shockwaves through the publisher and its subsidiaries, with reports now indicating talent is now shaming upper management in internal chat channels.

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Ubisoft's reshuffling is entirely due to the company's financial situation following several lengthy development cycles, delays, and underperforming releases. According to the company, this latest restructuring is the "third and final phase" of its plan to get the company back on course.

It's estimated that Ubisoft will save as much as 200 million euros by the end of March 2028. Notably, Ubisoft entered its second phase in 2022, where it remains, and it is projected to save as much as 300 million euros. Since 2022, Ubisoft has significantly reduced headcount, reducing from 20,729 in September 2022 to 17,097 as of September 2025. Additionally, Ubisoft studios such as Osaka, San Francisco, Leamington, Halifax, and London have all been closed.

Now that the third phase is on the horizon, it's easy to see how an additional 200 million euros in cost-cutting measures will translate into more studio closures and a further reduction in headcount. Now, Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson, a known Ubisoft insider, wrote in an X post that he is hearing Ubisoft's internal communication channels are currently full of employees shaming upper management, with many of these employees now calling for change.

The reporter goes on to write that he expects Ubisoft to experience a "massive exodus of talent," on top of the incoming layoffs, meaning employees who haven't already lost their jobs are now considering leaving.

Henderson writes, "Some employees tell me that this was the final nail in the coffin for them, and that they will be seeking employment elsewhere, and others have decided to fast-track their already existing contingency plans in case they were laid off. More have taken to LinkedIn to publicly announce they are now looking for work, despite still having a job at the company."