adminUbisoft restructuring has drawn criticism from French games industry union Solidaires Informatique, which says employees are facing growing uncertainty over jobs, pay and working conditions. The union held a protest on January 22 and says it is preparing further action with other Ubisoft unions in France and abroad.
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Ubisoft restructuring prompts union protest
Solidaires Informatique described the protest as an initial response to decisions it considers unreasonable. According to Le Monde, around ten people took part. The union has not presented the demonstration as its only planned response and says additional actions are being considered with union groups at the company.
The union is calling for Ubisoft to stop its cost-reduction measures, maintain and expand remote work, and provide what it describes as fair pay increases this year. For employees following the dispute, the key issues are whether staffing and compensation plans will change, and how the company will handle requests to work remotely.
Union raises concerns about pay and staffing
Marc Rutschlé, a Solidaires Informatique representative at Ubisoft Paris, said the union believes senior leadership is not sufficiently aware of employees’ circumstances. He pointed to continued cost-cutting and job reductions, alongside teams that he described as understaffed and under pressure.
Rutschlé also said many employees had received no pay increase, or only limited increases, over several years and expected that salaries might again remain unchanged this year. He contrasted those concerns with the creation of senior positions that, in the union’s view, carry excessive salaries. These are the union representative’s claims; the report did not include a response from Ubisoft.
Return-to-office policy adds to job security concerns
Ubisoft has asked employees to work from the office five days a week, saying the policy is intended to improve the collective performance of its AAA teams. The requirement has renewed debate about remote work and how office attendance affects staff.
More than 700 employees at Ubisoft France took part in a three-day walkout in September 2024 in response to the company’s return-to-office policy. Rutschlé said some employees fear losing their jobs if they cannot meet the required attendance schedule. The union views the policy as a way that could push some workers to leave, rather than as a straightforward change to workplace arrangements.
Union describes a difficult atmosphere at the studio
Rutschlé characterized morale at the studio as seriously strained. He said staff representatives had seen colleagues break down in tears and reported that some employees had made comments about suicide. These remarks underline the level of distress described by the union, although they do not establish how widespread the problem is across Ubisoft.
The union’s next steps will depend on discussions with other employee groups and how the company responds to its demands. Employees concerned about the changes can follow official workplace communications and speak with their staff representatives about policies that affect their role.
What to watch next
The main issues to monitor are whether Ubisoft changes its cost-cutting plans, clarifies its approach to pay increases, or revises the five-day office requirement. For now, Solidaires Informatique says further action is planned. The dispute shows how Ubisoft restructuring is being challenged by a union focused on job security, workload and working conditions.
