Ubisoft Entertainment, the French game maker famous for enduring franchises such as Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, has announced the closure of its sales offices in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and several Scandinavian markets. The move forms part of a broader restructuring plan aimed at tightening costs and reshaping its European and Canadian operations. The company disclosed the plan in a statement reported by Bloomberg News.
The closures are set to trigger layoffs affecting about sixty employees. This staffing reduction comes as Ubisoft accelerates its restructuring efforts across Europe and Canada while seeking to streamline its global footprint. The company currently lists more than twenty thousand employees on its corporate site, underscoring the scale of the changes planned in the wake of weaker performance in certain regions.
Management attributed the planned cost savings to disappointing results from recent game versions and a softer market response to the company’s latest releases. In its latest results presentation, Ubisoft described the current environment as presenting major challenges driven by macroeconomic factors, including slower consumer spending in key markets. As part of the cost-control program, Ubisoft intends to trim expenses by two hundred million euros over an upcoming period. The plan also involves selling non-core assets to support the broader realignment of its business operations.
In addition to the restructuring moves, Ubisoft has taken a series of game development decisions in the near term. In early January, the company canceled three unannounced titles and once again delayed Skull and Bones. Earlier, in July of the previous year, Ubisoft announced the cancellation of four additional titles that were in development. These actions reflect the firm’s recalibration of its product slate in response to shifting demand and the competitive landscape in the video game industry.
Industry observers note that Ubisoft faces a complex mix of challenges, including competitive pressure from other major publishers, the push toward live-service titles, and the ongoing need to balance big-budget production with the cost discipline now demanded by investors and shareholders. Analysts suggest that the planned workforce reductions and the sale of non-core assets may help the company reallocate resources to its strongest franchises and to regions with higher growth potential. The company has signaled its intent to preserve essential operations while exiting underperforming markets, a strategy many peers have adopted in recent years to preserve capital and focus on high-return initiatives. This strategic shift is being watched closely by investors, employees, and fans as Ubisoft positions its portfolio for the next phase of growth. The company has not indicated any immediate changes to its major intellectual properties or its long-term roadmap beyond the areas explicitly cited in the restructuring plan. Attributions: Bloomberg News