French game developer continues cost-cutting measures just months after closing Halifax office. <\/p>\n
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French video game developer Ubisoft has shuttered its Winnipeg office, putting 65 employees out of work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The news: First reported by Insider Gaming<\/a> earlier this week, Ubisoft closed the Winnipeg studio as part of ongoing organizational changes that could impact up to 380 employees across the company. The latest changes also include the closure of its studio in Belgrade, and layoffs in its Barcelona studio as it restructures to focus solely on projects related to the Rainbow Six franchise.<\/p>\n From the source: \u201cUbisoft is continuing to take targeted actions to reduce costs and focus resources on its strategic priorities as part of its efforts to strengthen the business over the long term,\u201d a source from within Ubisoft told BetaKit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following the thread: Opened in 2018, Ubisoft Winnipeg was the first AAA game studio in Manitoba, and worked on flagship franchises like Rainbow Six, Assassin\u2019s Creed, and Far Cry. In 2022, Ubisoft announced plans<\/a> to expand the operation by adding 200 jobs, part of a $139 million investment to grow the studio to 300 employees by 2030. Last year, Ubisoft said<\/a> it had received more than $605 million euros (roughly $977 million CAD) in tax credits in Canada between 2020 and 2024.<\/p>\n The Winnipeg office\u2019s closure comes six months after Ubisoft Halifax<\/a> suffered the same fate, putting 71 people out of work shortly after the majority of the workplace voted to unionize. At the time, Ubisoft told investors it was entering the third phase of its cost reduction program intended to cut an additional 200 million euros ($323.6 million CAD) over the next two years. Ubisoft still has an office in Toronto and four Qu\u00e9bec offices in Montr\u00e9al, Chicoutimi, Qu\u00e9bec City, and Sherbrooke.\u00a0<\/p>\n Final thought: While gaming brought in over $500 billion<\/a> USD in revenue last year, layoffs are still a persistent story in the industry as production costs soar<\/a>. This week, Xbox\u2019s new CEO Asha Sharma reportedly<\/a> told employees that it\u2019s planning to make significant layoffs next month. As Microsoft\u2019s gaming division, Xbox operates multiple studios with Canadian offices, including Compulsion Games, The Coalition, and Bethesda.\u00a0<\/p>\n