February 12 is the judgment day. Ubisoft employees hold their breath for what's to come

Lately, there's been a lot of buzz about major layoffs happening at Ubisoft. Several studios have been closed, and six games have been canceled. However, it turns out this is not the end of belt-tightening for the company.

1. In a press release, Ubisoft announced that it is currently in the second of three phases of a savings program. In the third and final phase, the company aims to reduce expenses by 200 million euros by March 2028.
2. The current second phase is expected to result in total savings of 300 million euros. So far, 3,632 employees have been laid off, with more to follow on February 12.
3. According to Insider Gaming, this means that in the third phase, Ubisoft will likely cut another 2,400 employees.
4. Not all of them will be directly laid off. Ubisoft is trying to avoid frequent mass layoffs, as they create bad PR for the company. Therefore, some reductions will occur by forcing employees to return to the office.
5. The publisher now wants developers to be in the office five days a week, but they're also giving them a set number of days each year to work from home. Many people are unable to work in any way other than remotely, so they will have to resign. This way, Ubisoft can reduce staff without direct layoffs.

According to Insider Gaming, the company has a strong lineup of upcoming games, but it's undeniable that it will be difficult for developers to reach their creative potential if they live in constant fear of layoffs.

• Ubisoft
• layoffs / employments