Ubisoft Unions Call for 'Massive International Strike' by All Employees - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 28 January 2026 / 3,287 Views
Five Ubisoft unions in a joint post on social media have called for all Ubisoft employees to go on a "massive international strike" on February 10th until the 12th.
"On January 21, 2026, Yves Guillemot announced the end of remote work, closure of several studios, cancellation of projects, and a new 200€ million "cost-cutting" plan," reads the statement from the unions. "We were informed of this at the same time as the press - as none of these changes had been discussed during the mandatory consultations with the works councils a few days earlier!
"On January 26, 2026, management announced the implementation of a voluntary departure plan that will affect 200 people at Ubisoft's headquarters. These decisions are forcing us to act in order to protect those who keep this company alive.
"Since Ubisoft's founding in 1986, it seems clear today that management has lost sight of the very driving force behind our industry: its workers. No dialogue, no respect. With a wave of the hand, management dismisses he creativity of hundreds of employees by canceling several games (without specifying which ones!), the future of studios destined for closure (again, without any details!), the careers of colleagues who are being let go, the social dialogue, already strained for several years, the social gains, such as remote work, which allowed the company to shine during lockdowns. Management seems unable to stop mourning the pre-COVID era."
The unions says that without them the games Ubisoft develops would not exist and they are being "treated like children" as they are being forced to work in the office once again.
"We are promised autonomy for Creative Houses, but what about autonomy for employees? Five days of mandatory in-office work: we are treated like children who need to be supervised, while our management gets away with lies and breaking the law.
"We have been negotiating for over a year on remote work policy, sometimes under difficult conditions. An agreement has been in place since September in some studios. Trampled underfoot! Our colleagues in entities without an agreement? At the mercy of arbitrary decisions.
"We are told about responsibilities, but those who wield this word so easily do not take any responsibility for the consequences of their catastrophic management, the latest result being the elimination of 200 jobs at Ubisoft's headquarters."
The statement continues, "We are not fooled: rather than taking financial responsibility for layoffs, they prefer to push us out by making our working conditions unbearable. It's outrageous. Our colleagues carry on, hold fast, endure, out of solidarity, out of love for the industry, and out of passion. But enough is enough! It is because we love Ubisoft that this situation revolts us!"
The goal of the strikes is to tell Ubisoft leadership the following:
No
- to their anti-remote-work obsession!
- to "cost-cutting" plans on employees' backs!
- to top-down decisions!
- to coercive control on our working conditions!
Yes
- to our leaders truly taking their responsibilities!
- to management's duty of sincerity in the face of its failings!
The statement concludes, "It is time for our management to understand that they cannot do whatever they want, whether with public money or the work of hundreds of people! Without us, Ubisoft would never have conquered and transformed video games as it has done. We are history, we are Ubisoft."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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I'm not sure what they pretend to achieve with this. The company seems to be imploding as it is, they clearly are at the brink of bankruptcy or being fully sold out to Tencent, and they want to strike against "cost cutting"? This is going to backfire on them, and make other companies more willing to union bust.
They probably want to be notified and receive explanation for these decisions,
as well as guarantee remote work conditions for those that had already bargained for them. It’s a 3 day mid-week strike that gives employees and union opportunities to respond and push their side of the dialogue.
And probably make progress with their applications for other jobs.
The company is self-destructing it seems. It will likely end in many employees leaving and forming new studios which might be for the best. I'm sure there are many legitimately talented people working there.
Ubisoft needs to shutdown.
If I was Ubisoft, I would fire everyone. Chinese and Eastern European studios do great work.
How Ubi's shareholders haven't kicked out their CEO yet, is beyond me.
