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| At least 1,200 Ubisoft employees have gone on strike in protest of the planned cost-cutting measures. |
More than 1,200 developers walk out as frustration with CEO Yves Guillemot, office mandates, and relentless cost-cutting reaches a boiling point.
PARIS – February 12, 2026 – For three days this week, the creative engines behind some of gaming's most beloved franchises have fallen silent. At least 1,200 Ubisoft employees across France and Italy abandoned their desks, marking one of the largest work stoppages in the French publisher's history and signaling a deepening crisis between leadership and the talent responsible for Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.
The strike, which began on February 10 and concludes today, was triggered by what management termed a "final" round of restructuring announced on January 21. That plan includes studio closures, the cancellation of six unannounced games, and further layoffs—measures the Solidaires Informatique union has labeled both "absurd" and emblematic of a leadership team that has "lost the pulse of its own company."
According to Marc Rutschlé, a union representative at Ubisoft Paris, participation has been substantial. "At least 1,200 employees walked out on the first day alone," Rutschlé confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz , noting that while the walkout is concentrated in French studios including Paris, Montpellier, and Lyon, Ubisoft's Milan office has also joined the action.
Ubisoft, however, offered a lower figure. In a statement issued Wednesday, the company said 538 staff had reported themselves as being on strike. The discrepancy highlights a familiar tension: what management characterizes as isolated dissent, employees describe as a movement.
"No Knowledge, No Understanding"
The anger coursing through Ubisoft's corridors is not new—but it has metastasized. In September 2024, more than 700 French staff staged a three-day strike over the company's initial return-to-office mandate. At the time, Ubisoft required employees to work on-site three days per week. The new policy, implemented alongside January's restructuring, demands five days per week in the office, effectively ending remote work for thousands.
For many developers, this feels like a final betrayal. "Our teams are already working under pressure, often understaffed," Rutschlé said. "After several years without pay raises—or very small increases—we understand that once again, employees will not receive a raise this year."
His criticism of CEO Yves Guillemot was unusually personal. "At this stage, it seems clear to us that Yves Guillemot has no knowledge or understanding of his company or its employees."
The tension escalated dramatically last month when an employee who publicly criticized the office mandate was suspended, and later dismissed. The termination sent shockwaves through the workforce, chilling internal discourse and galvanizing union organizers. A subsequent town hall meeting, intended by executives to reset relations, instead became a flashpoint. Multiple attendees described the session as condescending and out of touch, with leadership offering platitudes rather than answers.
Ubisoft Responds: "We Understand These Changes... Generate Strong Feelings"
In its formal response to the strike, Ubisoft struck a measured, if defensive, tone.
"The transformation announced by Ubisoft on January 21 aims to open a new chapter for the Group by sustainably strengthening team autonomy and creativity within the Creative Houses," the company stated. "It is designed to enable teams to develop games that meet the highest standards of the industry, while contributing to the Group's long-term sustainability in a demanding economic and industrial environment."
The statement acknowledged employee discontent. "We understand these changes, particularly those affecting work organization, are generating strong feelings. Since the announcement, we have held a series of discussions and information sessions at multiple levels to help teams better understand the new organization and to give them the opportunity to share their questions and concerns."
Ubisoft insisted its leadership "remains committed to maintaining an open and constructive dialogue with employees and employee representatives, in order to support this transformation and to build a stable and clear working framework for everyone."
What Workers Actually Want
Union representatives have been explicit about the conditions required for peace. Their demands extend far beyond the return-to-office policy, targeting what they describe as systemic leadership failure.
The union's core demands include:
- Transparent workforce planning – Employees want clarity on which projects are secure and which studios face closure, rather than the current cycle of rumor and sudden announcements.
- Immediate reversal of the five-day office mandate – Many staff relocated during the pandemic; others have childcare obligations. The mandate is viewed not as a productivity measure, but as a punitive exercise in control.
- A major overhaul of the leadership team – This includes, for some union members, the resignation of CEO Yves Guillemot, who has led Ubisoft since its founding in 1986.
- Meaningful wage adjustments – With inflation eroding purchasing power and multiple years of meager or nonexistent raises, compensation has become a central grievance.
The Reddit Verdict: Support, Skepticism, and Fear
Across gaming communities, the strike has drawn widespread sympathy. On the Ubisoft subreddit and r/Gaming, threads discussing the walkout have accumulated thousands of comments, with most users expressing solidarity with developers.
"I wouldn't go back to the office five days a week either, especially after being told remote work was fine for years," one user wrote. "This isn't about collaboration. It's about control and attrition."
Yet pessimism pervades the discourse. Many gamers and industry observers suspect Ubisoft's restructuring is not a correction, but a prelude. "Feels like they're trimming fat to make the company look attractive for a buyer," another commenter speculated. "Guillemot isn't going to fix this. He's going to sell."
That sentiment is not confined to Reddit. Industry analysts have quietly noted that Ubisoft's declining market valuation, coupled with its deep catalog of intellectual property, makes it a plausible acquisition target. A takeover would represent an ignominious end for the Guillemot family, which has controlled the company for four decades and fought off previous hostile advances, including a protracted battle with Vivendi in the late 2010s.
What Happens on February 13?
As the strike enters its final hours, the question is not whether Ubisoft will change—but whether it can change quickly enough. The company insists its restructuring is essential for "long-term sustainability." Employees argue that gutting the workforce and alienating survivors is not sustainability; it is slow liquidation.
Thus far, management has shown little appetite for meaningful concession. The five-day mandate remains in effect. The canceled games will not be uncanceled. The laid-off staff will not be rehired.
But the workforce has demonstrated something this week: it is not passive. Twelve hundred people were willing to walk out, in winter, across multiple countries, without immediate assurance of victory. That is not the behavior of a resigned workforce. It is the behavior of one that still believes the company is worth saving.
Whether Ubisoft's leadership shares that belief remains the central, unanswered question.