Ubisoft settles with laid-off Halifax studio workers

Ubisoft has reached a confidential settlement with 61 former employees from its Halifax studio, who unionized before the studio closed. The union members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the deal, as announced by CWA Canada. Developers praised the company for respecting the union during negotiations.

CWA Canada announced earlier this week that 61 union members from Ubisoft Halifax approved the settlement terms. While details remain confidential, affected developers stated that Ubisoft respected the union and negotiated in good faith. Former employee Jon Huffman described the studio closure as a surprise amid ongoing projects on mobile games. He added, “We are extremely grateful to our union for negotiating this package for us.” Ubisoft Halifax, which focused on mobile titles, unionized in December 2025. Weeks later, the company shut down the studio, affecting 71 positions. The move would have made it Ubisoft's first unionized studio in North America. Ubisoft denied any link to union-busting efforts. In a statement at the time, the company explained, “Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.” It committed to providing severance packages and career assistance to impacted workers. The settlement comes amid broader cost-cutting at Ubisoft, including layoffs at its Swedish studios and Red Storm Entertainment, home to the Tom Clancy franchise in the United States.

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Ubisoft's recent company-wide reset has led to the cancellation of six games, studio closures, and a proposed 200 voluntary redundancies in France, prompting unions to vote for strikes. The move includes the scrapping of the long-delayed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake and a price increase for the Just Dance+ service. Shares fell 34 percent, marking the company's lowest value in 15 years.

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Ubisoft has laid off 105 game developers at Red Storm Entertainment, shifting the studio from game development to an IT and Snowdrop engine support role. The North Carolina-based studio, founded in 1996 by Tom Clancy, will no longer make games. The move is part of Ubisoft's ongoing cost-cutting efforts.

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Chicago-based game studio Iron Galaxy has laid off dozens of employees as it adapts to changes in the gaming industry. The announcement follows the release of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remaster collection. A source indicated the cuts could affect up to 90 staff members.

Democratic members of the US Congress have called on the Federal Trade Commission to thoroughly examine the proposed $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and other investors. The letter from the Congressional Labor Caucus highlights concerns over labor impacts and market dominance in the gaming industry. The deal, announced last September, is set to close in early 2027.

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Ivy Road, the indie studio behind Wanderstop, announced it will shut down as of March 31, 2026, after funding for its next project fell through. The team expressed gratitude for their work on the 2025 release while lamenting the tough funding climate. Annapurna Interactive teased future news related to Wanderstop.

 

 

 

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