Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is off to a roaring start, with Ubisoft trumpeting 2m copies sold on launch day alone. But despite its success, Ubisoft Barcelona – one of the studios involved in its development – is still facing layoffs, and workers are currently staging a three-day strike in protest.
Layoffs at Ubisoft Barcelona – which also supports the development of Rainbow Six Siege – were first announced in June, amid news of major restructuring at the publisher, and 51 workers at the studio are believed to be impacted. While layoffs have begun, negotiations are ongoing and the remaining developers – backed by a union – are fighting for better conditions for those being let go and assurances for the employees currently unimpacted by the cuts. The three-day strike is now happening, and so far around 90 employees have reportedly attended the protests.
“The workers at Ubisoft have spoken and called for a total strike to demand their rights. Enough with the unjustified cuts! No to the layoffs at Ubisoft Barcelona,” the CSVI, a Spanish union for video game workers – part of the General Confederation of Labour – wrote on social media.
While the studio previously staged a partial strike, taking place shortly after the cuts were announced, this week’s three-day strike is a total one, bringing all work to a standstill. Union employees are also sticking to previous demands, including (but not limited to) a reduction in the number of employees affected by the cuts based on Black Flag Resynced’s success, an improved severance package, and assurances there will be no more layoffs in the short- to mid-term.
The Bluesky account for CGT’s Catalonian division also shared a photo of the workers on strike on 14th July. Several of the developers protested in front of their offices in Barcelona with a sizable ‘Corporate Greed’ banner that used the fonts and style from the iconic Assassin’s Creed logo.
Ahead of the planned action, members of Ubisoft Barcelona have detailed the work the studio had done on Ubisoft’s Black Flag remake, including underwater mechanics – covering the likes of swimming, underwater biomes, wrecks, and marine life behaviour – plus various naval quests, naval contracts, assassin’s contracts, bosses, and combat AI.
Some of the developers have also taken to social media to express their disappointment at the same time they celebrated Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced’s launch last week. “It’s been an incredible experience working with such hardworking, talented and amazing people, and we are very glad that players are loving it,” a senior tester at Ubisoft Barcelona said. “Unfortunately, my whole team is being laid off, so we can’t fully celebrate it.”
At the time of writing, Ubisoft hasn’t formally replied to the striking workers or the CSVI union representatives. While work is expected to be resumed later this week, the studio’s future may be in question if the publisher goes through with the deep cuts.
