Reports indicate that more than 700 workers from Ubisoft France have walked out of their jobs and are joining a three-day strike.
The situation follows the company's recent decision to implement a new policy that would require employees to go back to the office. The dispute also stems from staff members' disagreement with the studio over salaries.
Ubisoft France Workers Join Strike
French game workers union Syndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses du Jeu Video (STJV) argued that Ubisoft's new return-to-office policy was the reason they are walking out of their jobs.
STJV reportedly called the three-day strike after Ubisoft management failed to respond to its complaints. The union's Clement Montigny said that the studio reneged on its promises regarding home working and "calls into question the way they organize their lives."
The Assassin's Creed creator said at the time of the policy's announcement that it believed the requirement would boost creativity and teamwork. It added that it would still respect "individual circumstances," according to Games Industry.
The situation comes as Ubisoft's stocks sharply declined after the release of Star Wars Outlaws. The price fell by more than 10% in just two days.
The value of the company's shares in September 2024 was 40% lower than what was recorded at the beginning of the year. This marked the studio's lowest value in the past decade.
STJV argued that Ubisoft's latest policy was announced without any "tangible justification" and it did not even consult with its staff about it. The union said that many of its colleagues had worked efficiently for the last five years in the current remote-work context.
New Return-to-Office Policy
They have already built or rebuilt their lives and livelihoods to this job system. This means that they cannot just simply get up and return to previous working conditions. STJV said that Ubisoft was very much aware of this fact, Game World Observer said.
The latest strike after a similar walk out was conducted in February 2024 which was where 700 Ubisoft employees protested against low salaries. This was after the studio "offered a budget dedicated to raises that would be lower than inflation for the second year in a row."
STJV also noted that Ubisoft's return-to-office policy was announced immediately following the failure of the company's profit-sharing negotiations.
The union argued that Ubisoft management's proposals were unacceptable and the timetable was appalling, according to Rock Paper Shotgun.
