Summary
UbisoftCEO Yves Guillemot addressed some employee concerns about the company’s future as part of an internal memo that was promptly leaked to the public. These internal questions aboutUbisoft’s prospects were collected as part of its latest annual employee survey.
Ubisoft has had a difficult streak in recent years, with many of its big-budget projects underperforming. Its struggles have intensified since the start of 2024, asPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown,Skull and Bones, andStar Wars Outlawsall failed to meet sales expectations.XDefiant, the company’s free-to-play military shooter released in May 2024, also underperformed, as underlined by the fact that Ubisoft has already decided to shutter it in June 2025. As a result, the group’s San Francisco and Osaka studios that worked on the game will be closed, with roughly half of their employees being expected to be laid off.
Hot on the heels of theXDefiantshutdown announcement, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot sent a company-wide memo reflecting on some of the group’s recent difficulties, which was then leaked toInsider Gaming. Guillemot acknowledged that many Ubisoft employees have raised questions and concerns about the company’s future, citing the results of its latest annual experience survey, which had an 86% response rate and yielded over 55,000 comments. For reference, Ubisoft’s current headcount is in the ballpark of 21,000, which comes out to 2.6 comments per employee.
Ubisoft Is Still Striving to Stay in Control of Its Future
“I want you to know that all my energy is focused on finding the means to guide Ubisoft through these turbulent times,” Guillemot wrote, adding that he and his team are still “working tirelessly” on identifying “the best solutions so we can maintain control of our destiny.” To that end, the company will soon introduce several initiatives to address questions raised by its staffers in the annual experience survey. These efforts will aim to streamline development and “bring back a daily focus on creation,” agoal Ubisoft already emphasized when launching a probe into its practicesin September 2024.
I am working tirelessly with my team to identify the best solutions so we can maintain control of our destiny.
Guillemot’s memo also saw him label the decision to axeXDefiantand close down its San Francisco and Osaka studios as “difficult,” conceding that the company’s intense efforts to challengeCall of Dutywere “not enough,” all the while thanking everyone involved in the project for their contributions.
All Eyes Are Now on Assassin’s Creed Shadows
All of Ubisoft’s near-term hopes of getting out of its current rut rest squarely on the shoulders of therecently delayedAssassin’s Creed Shadows, which is presently targeting a February 14 release. The latest big entry in the series,AC Valhalla, generated over $1 billion in revenue, a number that no Ubisoft title has approached since. ButValhallawas also propped up by the global pandemic, which was a big boon to the gaming industry on the whole. Therefore, even just matching its success could be a challenging task forAssassin’s Creed Shadowseven if the game turns out to be stellar in every respect.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a well-known video game developer and publisher with a main headquarters in Saint-Mandé, France. Current CEO Yves Guillemot runs an array of teams responsible for some of the most iconic and well-known series in video games, with franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Farcry, The Crew, Just Dance, and more. Ubisoft also acts as a parent company for an array of other video game developers, including names like Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft Paris, Blue Mammoth Games, Red Storm Entertainment, and more.
