Ubisoft to close Winnipeg and Belgrade studios, cut 380 jobs worldwide

Ubisoft has initiated another wave of workforce reductions as part of its ongoing restructuring strategy, according to sources speaking with GamesIndustry.biz. The company is shutting down its Winnipeg and Belgrade studios, while also proposing changes at its Barcelona location and within its global publishing division. Approximately 380 roles are now at risk.

Reports indicate that Ubisoft has suggested focusing the Barcelona studio exclusively on the Rainbow Six franchise. Meanwhile, layoffs have already occurred across the company’s worldwide publishing organization, affecting several offices. The total number of impacted positions remains unclear due to varying redundancy processes by region, though local sources estimate that 61 jobs were cut in Barcelona alone.

The Belgrade studio, founded in 2016, functioned as a support hub for multiple projects, most notably Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The Winnipeg studio, opened in 2019, recently worked on Rainbow Six Mobile after contributing to the ill-fated free-to-play shooter XDefiant. The Barcelona office, distinct from the separate Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile in the same city, was last credited on Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.

This marks five years of aggressive cost-cutting for Ubisoft. In January, the company announced what it called a “final” round of reductions aimed at achieving €200 million in savings. Recent financial reports revealed a steep drop in revenue and net bookings, with the company describing the current fiscal year as “a low point in our free cash flow trajectory,” largely due to redundancy-related expenses. The publisher also faces a sparse release schedule this year, led by two remakes: Black Flag Resynced and the recently unveiled Rayman Legends Retold.