GamesUbisoft wants to restore the “creativity and innovation” that built its success in “2010 - 2020,” and it’s cut over 2,000 employees in 2 years to help do itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesUbisoft wants to restore the “creativity and innovation” that built its success in “2010 - 2020,” and it’s cut over 2,000 employees in 2 years to help do itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
ContinuingUbisoft’s ‘it’s time to go back to the old me’ arc, CEO Yves Guillemot says the company is in the middle of a transformation meant to “restore the level of creativity and innovation that builtUbisoft’s success.”
This comes from Ubisoft’s latest financial report, with Guillemot acknowledging that “recent setbacks” have blunted its output and revenue, and with the company leaning on older and evergreen games to prop up the numbers each quarter.Assassin’s Creed Shadows' delay to 2025has only further lightened the year.
Beyond juicing its sales, Ubisoft’s back-catalog is also increasingly doubling as something of a guiding star for the company, which has been treading water for several years in the absence of new mega-hits.
Part of this restoration plan involves structural changes and cost reduction measures, which is a nice way of describing a whole bunch of layoffs among other spending cuts. In the past two years, Ubisoft has shed over 2,000 employees, bringing it down to a mere 18,666 employees as of September 30, 2024. That’s probably worth repeating given the ongoing discussion of ballooning AAA budgets and teams. After significant cuts, Ubisoft still has over 18,000 –eighteen thousand– staff.
To put this era into perspective, the 2010 - 2020 decade saw the release of Ubisoft games like Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Far Cry 3, 4, and 5, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Watch Dogs, The Crew, Tom Clancy’s The Division and The Division 2, and perhaps most importantly, Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey. Given the focus on creativity and innovation, it also feels worth highlighting gems like Rayman Origins, Child of Light, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, and Grow Home.
“Retention has continued to improve significantly over the period and is now close to the historical-best levels observed during the 2010-2020 decade that was the foundation for Ubisoft’s success,” the report reads. “Additionally, hundreds of former Ubisoft employees have rejoined the company, notably at senior levels, bringing significant expertise and know-how that strengthens our AAA core teams.” This, at least, may help offset the brain drain problem that the games industry in general is facing amid widespread layoffs.
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“Over the past semester, we also further advanced our cost reduction plan thanks to strict control on recruitments, targeted restructurings and lower external spend,” Guillemot adds. “This is the fruit of a group-wide effort, and I would like to thank the teams as we are transforming the company into a more efficient and agile organization.”
Last month, as Star Wars Outlaws fell short of sales expectations, Guillemot reckoned that just making “solid” games isn’t enough when you have “gamers expecting extraordinary experiences.”
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”