Ubisoft could be the next major game publisher to be hit with mass layoffs. According to a new report, the company will be in trouble unless it changes its strategy and management approach.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
A number of Ubisoft employees told Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson that the French publisher may start a major restructuring. Morale at the company is now at an “all-time low,” with workers being afraid of their future.
Below are the main takeaways from the article:
- One of Ubisoft’s biggest problems is its leadership’s desire to jump on every trend, from NFTs and Web3 to cloud gaming and live services. According to anonymous sources, the company at one point had a dozen battle royale titles in development.
- These projects usually get canned, resulting in the loss of huge amounts of money, time, and talent. For example, Ubisoft canceled four unannounced games from mid-2022 to January 2023, not to mention Ghost Recon: Frontline, Splinter Cell VR, and Project Q.
- Henderson noted that the company currently has at least three extraction shooters in development, but is unclear whether they will be released or scrapped for another trend-chasing opportunity.
- Another major problem is constant delays, including the never-ending development of Skull and Bones. According to Insider Gaming, Ubisoft spent roughly $200 million to produce the game, which is now expected to finally come out next month.
- Some employees believe that the bad reputation that the company has earned in recent years is negatively impacting sales. Ubisoft’s latest release, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, received widespread acclaim, but Insider Gaming says it has only reached 300k players since January 18.
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has around 1.9 million players, which are some poor numbers compared to previous games by Ubisoft Massive. And Assassin’s Creed Mirage also didn’t meet expectations, attracting 5 million players.
- Despite the lack of hits, Ubisoft has one of its most promising pipelines in years, with Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin’s Creed Red coming out this year. According to Insider Gaming, new Ghost Recon, Far Cry, and Assassin’s Creed titles are expected to launch in 2025-2026.
- As Henderson concluded, the “cracks are beginning to show and if things were to continue the way they have recently, from leaving employees in turmoil to having competent managers run projects, the inevitable restructuring could see many affected.”