Ubisoft closes game studio after developers join union
Ubisoft Halifax in Canada is being closed. The developers had recently organized as a union. The game company denies any connection.
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Ubisoft is closing its Canadian development studio in Halifax, affecting 71 employees. Just 16 days prior, 74 percent of the staff had decided to join the Canadian union for game and multimedia developers. It was the first time Ubisoft employees in North America had organized a union. The game company, however, denies any connection and points to company-wide savings.
As early as October 2025, Ubisoft intended to cut jobs at the Swedish development studio Massive Entertainment and therefore had asked Massive employees if they wanted to leave voluntarily. This was justified by the fact that the Ubisoft subsidiary wanted to focus more on its core brands. Layoffs also occurred at another Ubisoft studio. Jobs were also to be cut at the Finnish studio RedLynx, primarily known for the “Trials” series.
“Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has taken company-wide measures to optimize operations, increase efficiency, and reduce costs,” Ubisoft now explains to GamesIndustry.biz. “As part of this, Ubisoft has made the difficult decision to close its Halifax studio. 71 jobs are affected. We are providing all affected team members with comprehensive support during this transition, including generous severance packages and additional professional development opportunities.”
Mobile games were Ubisoft Halifax's specialty
On December 22nd, 61 employees of Ubisoft Halifax had joined the Canadian union after 73.8 percent of the staff had voted in favor, reported CTV News in Canada. Jon Huffman, lead programmer at Ubisoft Halifax, described it at the time as a “huge relief.” Most recently, employees in Canada had been working on mobile games in the “Rainbow Six” and “Assassin's Creed” series.
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Ubisoft Halifax was founded in 2010 as “Longtail Studios Halifax” and acquired by Ubisoft in 2015. “Rainbow Six Mobile” is set to be available worldwide next month and will be taken over by other Ubisoft branches. The operation of “Assassin's Creed Rebellion,” released in 2018, is likely to be discontinued shortly.
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