Earlier this year, Ubisoft unions called for a strike against the video game publisher, and it’s happening right now. Over 1,200 Ubisoft employees have walked out on their jobs in protest over the company’s recent restructuring, its plans for future layoffs, and a recent return-to-office mandate.
Five Ubisoft unions–STJV, Solidaires Informatique, CGT, CFE-CGC, and Printemps Ecologique–are taking part in the strike, which is primarily taking place in France. However, the three-day strike is also impacting workers at Ubisoft Milan.
In January, the unions called for Yves Guillemot to resign from his position as Ubisoft’s CEO.
“At this stage, it seems clear to us that Yves Guillemot has no knowledge or understanding of his company or its employees,” Solidaires Informatique spokesman Marc Rutschlé said in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz. “The company is continuing its cost reduction and layoff plan. Our teams are already working under pressure, often understaffed. After several years without pay rises (or very small increases), we understand that once again, employees will not receive a raise this year.”
As part of the restructuring, six games were canceled by Ubisoft, including the planned remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. A recent Ubisoft internal townhall meeting reportedly did little to address employee’s concerns. Near the beginning of February, Ubisoft Montreal veteran David Michaud-Cromp disclosed that Ubisoft terminated him after he spoke out against the return-to-office mandate.