Ubisoft is looking to shrink its German workforce. The company has opened talks with employee representatives on a voluntary departure plan covering its studios in Düsseldorf, Berlin and Mainz, according to a statement given to Game File and reported by GamesIndustry.biz.
“We initiated discussions with the Works Council last week regarding a proposed voluntary departure plan across [the three studios],” a Ubisoft representative said. “The voluntary plan is the primary measure being proposed to support the intended organisational changes.”
About 100 roles
Ubisoft has not said how many people the plan could affect, but Game File reports it is aiming to cut around 100 employees, with more than half of the reductions expected at Düsseldorf, the largest of the three studios. Kotaku puts Düsseldorf at just over 400 staff and describes the cut as roughly one in six of Ubisoft’s German workforce.
Ubisoft zone managing director Benedikt Grindel reportedly told staff in an email after a town hall that the changes aim to “best position our German studios for the future,” with “a clearer focus on their role, capabilities, and organisational setup needed for the work ahead.”
Game File’s sources also described a payout formula under discussion: a worker’s monthly salary multiplied by 1.5 and by their years at the company. That figure is not final. Ubisoft said the terms “remain subject to negotiation with employee representatives,” and that “no final agreement has been reached.”
Another round of cuts
The German studios work on series including Anno, Rayman, Might & Magic, Prince of Persia and Beyond Good & Evil. Düsseldorf was also hit last year, when Ubisoft cut 185 jobs across several studios and closed Ubisoft Leamington.
The news comes just a day after Ubisoft told staff it plans to close the Trials studio RedLynx in Finland and cut 70 roles at Ubisoft Singapore, as RCG reported in Ubisoft Proposes Closing Trials Studio RedLynx. Kotaku notes the company’s share price has fallen back below €5 as the restructuring drags on.
Because the plan is voluntary and still under negotiation with the works council, the final number of departures, and what staff are offered to leave, could still change.
