Massive Entertainment, the Ubisoft subsidiary studio responsible for games such as The Division and Star Wars Outlaws, has announced that it is laying off a number of employees.
In a post on social media, the studio called it a “voluntary career transition program”.
“As part of our ongoing evolution and long-term planning, we have recently realigned our teams and resources to strengthen our roadmap, ensuring our continued focus on The Division franchise and the technologies, including Snowdrop and Ubisoft Connect, that power our games,” they said.
“To support this transition responsibly, we introduced a voluntary career transition program, giving eligible team members the opportunity to take their next career step on their own terms, supported by a comprehensive package that includes financial and career assistance.”
Massive Entertainment says that it “remains fully committed to our roadmap and to creating great experiences for players around the world, including The Division 2, The Division 2: Survivors, The Division Resurgence, and The Division 3. These projects continue with strength, focus, and ambition, and we look forward to sharing more in the future.”
According to French newspaper Le Figaro (paywalled), the “departure plan” will run until December 15. As far as who’s targeted for the reduction, it will be “inter-project” employees.
“This term refers to employees on permanent contracts waiting to be reassigned to a new project, after, for example, their previous video game has been released in stores,” the report adds per translation.
The decision to “realign” comes just after the launch of the Ubisoft-Tencent subsidiary Vantage Studios. That studio, which will oversee the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six Siege franchises, is the first of the company’s planned “creative houses.” As of publishing, it’s unclear what the next steps for the creative houses plan will be, and what games will be grouped.
There was no mention of the number of employees impacted by the decision. Insider Gaming has reached out to both Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment for clarification on this “transition program” and how many people will be let go. Should a response be received, it will be added to this story.
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Editor’s Note: The article has been updated to add more context.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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Layoff the greed and get in touch with reality
Just more corporate greed.