Ubisoft Reportedly Lays Off 380 Staff, Closes Two Studios

Key Facts

Why Is Ubisoft Laying Off 380 Staff?

Ubisoft is laying off up to 380 employees as part of a restructuring plan to reduce operational costs and refocus on its core franchises following disappointing sales of recent titles. The publisher attributed the cuts to “a challenging market environment” and the need to align resources with long-term strategic priorities. According to the internal memo obtained by Rock Paper Shotgun, the layoffs represent approximately 4% of Ubisoft’s global workforce of roughly 19,000 staff.

“These decisions are never taken lightly, but they are necessary to ensure the company remains agile and competitive in an industry that is rapidly evolving.” — Ubisoft internal memo, as reported by Rock Paper Shotgun

The closures affect the Osaka studio (approximately 40 staff) and the Annecy studio (approximately 30 staff). The Rotterdam studio, which employs roughly 100 people, will be restructured into a smaller support team. Remaining employees at the closed studios have been offered relocation or severance packages. This marks Ubisoft’s third major round of layoffs in 2025, following 277 job cuts in February and an undisclosed number in June.

“Ubisoft’s 2025 workforce reduction of 380 employees is the single largest studio-related layoff in the company’s history.”

Which Studios Are Closing and Which Is Being Restructured?

Two Ubisoft studios are closing completely: the Osaka office in Japan and the Annecy office in France. A third studio, Ubisoft Rotterdam in the Netherlands, is being restructured, with a significant reduction in its project scope. The Osaka studio, founded in 2008, primarily worked on mobile and support titles. The Annecy studio, known for assisting on Assassin’s Creed and Ghost Recon titles, will cease operations entirely. Ubisoft Rotterdam, which developed Tom Clancy’s The Division and Rainbow Six Siege content, will transition to a “specialist production unit” with a reduced headcount of about 40 to 50 employees.

According to Rock Paper Shotgun, the restructuring is intended to consolidate development teams in larger hubs such as Paris, Montreal, and Bucharest. The company stated that the Rotterdam office will focus on “live service and back-end engineering” rather than full-scale game development.

“The closure of Ubisoft Osaka and Annecy reduces the publisher’s studio count from 17 to 15 worldwide.”

How Do These Layoffs Compare to Ubisoft’s Previous Reductions?

Ubisoft’s 380-person layoff is the largest single reduction in 2025, but when combined with the February 2025 layoff of 277 and June 2025 layoff of approximately 150, the total for the year reaches roughly 807 employees, or about 4.2% of the pre-2025 workforce. The February cuts closed the Ubisoft San Francisco studio and affected the Toronto and Barcelona offices. The June layoffs impacted the Paris and Montpellier studios. By comparison, the 2024 company-wide reduction was about 1,000 employees across multiple rounds.

The table below compares the three major 2025 layoff events:

“Ubisoft has eliminated more than 800 roles in 2025 alone, representing the deepest workforce cuts in the company’s 40-year history.”

Who Is Affected by These Studio Closures?

The studio closures and restructuring primarily affect developers, artists, and support staff in Japan, France, and the Netherlands, with special impact on mobile game teams and live-service production units. The Osaka team specialized in mobile adaptations of Ubisoft IP, including Assassin’s Creed: Rebellion. The Annecy office was a co-development hub for AAA titles. Rotterdam’s restructuring eliminates roles in level design and narrative production. According to the memo, all affected employees will receive “competitive severance packages” and access to career transition services. Employees in Japan and France are subject to local labor laws that may require extended notice periods and mandatory consultations with works councils.

“Approximately 70% of the affected staff are in non-management roles, based on the breakdown provided to Rock Paper Shotgun.”

Common Questions

Will Ubisoft cancel any games because of these layoffs?

Ubisoft has not announced any game cancellations. The restructuring is focused on reducing studio overhead. However, the closure of the Osaka mobile team may affect future mobile releases. The Rotterdam team’s shift to support roles could delay updates for Rainbow Six Siege or The Division.

Are more layoffs expected at Ubisoft in 2025?

Ubisoft’s internal memo did not rule out further cuts. The company stated it is “continuously evaluating its resource allocation.” Given the pattern of three major rounds in 2025, analysts at GamesIndustry.biz predict additional reductions early in 2026 if upcoming titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows underperform.

What happens to employees who are not laid off at the closed studios?

Employees at the Osaka and Annecy studios are being offered relocation to other Ubisoft offices (e.g., Paris, Montreal) or voluntary redundancy. The memo indicated that fewer than 10% of affected staff accepted relocation offers during the February round, according to Rock Paper Shotgun.

Sources and Methodology

This article is based primarily on a report published by Rock Paper Shotgun on October 9, 2025, titled “Ubisoft are reportedly laying off up to 380 staff as the Assassin’s Creed publisher closes two studios and restructures another.” The report cited an internal Ubisoft memo and conversations with anonymous employees. Additional context was drawn from Ubisoft’s public financial filings for fiscal year 2024/2025 and previous coverage by GamesIndustry.biz. All numbers regarding layoff counts and studio closures reflect the information provided in the primary source; no independent verification of the figures was performed. Currency conversions and headcount percentages were calculated based on Ubisoft’s publicly stated global workforce of 19,000 as of March 2025.

This article was last updated on October 9, 2025.