At the start of 2026, Ubisoft didn't just announce layoffs at one of its studios ( which is how it started 2025 ). It announced a " major reset ," which included layoffs at multiple studios, the shuttering of Ubisoft Halifax , the cancellation of the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake , and significant changes to its operating structure, alongside some unpopular new policies like a return-to-office mandate .
The response to these changes has not exactly been positive, both internally within Ubisoft and externally across the industry. On the stock market, the announcement of the restructure saw the company's stock price drop 34% , which officially saw Ubisoft lose 95% of its value in just eight years. When this restructuring was followed by the introduction of a voluntary redundancy program at Ubisoft's headquarters in Paris, which aimed to cut as many as 200 employees , employees decided they had had enough.
French union Solidaires Informatique , which represents several employees at Ubisoft Paris, announced plans for an international strike , calling on Ubisoft employees at branches across the globe to walk out and strike on February 10, 11, and 12. Yesterday, February 10, 2026, was the first day of the strike, and according to Solidaires Informatique (via ), at least 1,200 Ubisoft employees walked out yesterday to participate in the strike.
Most of the striking employees came from within France, with some of the striking workers also coming from the Milan branch. It's a strong show of force from Ubisoft employees, who have been calling out the company's leadership, specifically chief executive officer Yves Guillemot , as the responsible party for the studio's woes.
Employees are still on strike today, and will be for the remainder of the week. This is also not the only demonstration that has already happened, as former staff from the now-shuttered Halifax branch held a rally last month in response to their studio getting suddenly shut down.
Solidaires Informatique already hosted a smaller strike last month that it called an " initial answer to the absurdity of management's decisions." Solidaires Informatique representative, Marc Rutschlé , also added, " At this state, it seems clear to us that Yves Guillemot has no knowledge or understanding of his company or its employees ."
" The company is continuing its cost reduction and layoff plan. Our teams are already working under pressure, often understaffed. After several years without pay rises (or very small increases), we understand that once again, employees will not receive a raise this year. At the same time, the reorganization is creating a number of high-level positions with excessive salaries ."
" From our union's point of view, this forced reversal is a disguised redundancy plan, aimed at pushing employees outside the company. The atmosphere within the studio is particularly deplorable, with anger and despair reigning supreme. Staff representatives have witnessed several breakdowns in tears; some colleagues have made suicidal comments. If Guillemot wanted to make people miserable, he couldn't have done better ."
Follow to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.