Ubisoft is asking staff at The Division studio Massive Entertainment to volunteer to be laid off
The Star Wars Outlaws studio says it’s giving staff “the opportunity to take their next career step on their own terms”
Ubisoft studio Massive Entertainment has asked staff to volunteer to be laid off.
The Swedish developer, which is best known for the Tom Clancy’s The Division series but most recently worked on Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, is the latest Ubisoft studio to announce a change in structure.
In a statement posted on its official X account, Massive stated that it planned to strengthen its focus on The Division series and the Snowdrop engine, and that as a result it was reducing its numbers.
The studio is asking staff to volunteer for “career transition”, presumably in an attempt to identify who’s willing to be laid off before it has to potentially start its own layoff procedure.
“As part of our ongoing evolution and long-term planning, we have recently realigned our teams and resources to strengthen our roadmap, ensuring our continued focus on The Division franchise and the technologies, including Snowdrop and Ubisoft Connect, that power our games,” the statement reads.
“To support this transition responsibly, we introduced a voluntary career transition program, giving eligible team members the opportunity to take their next career step on their own terms, supported by a comprehensive package that includes financial and career assistance.
“Massive Entertainment remains fully committed to our roadmap and to creating great experiences for players around the world, including The Division 2, The Division 2: Survivors, The Division Resurgence, and The Division 3. These projects continue with strength, focus, and ambition, and we look forward to sharing more in the future.”
The announcement came just hours after another Ubisoft studio, RedLynx, announced it was set to start making layoffs.
The Finland-based studio, which is best known for the Trials series of motorbike-based platformers, announced a restructuring proposal that would see it changing its focus from a multi-format developer to one “specialised in small screens”.
The statement says that Ubisoft RedLynx will negotiate the proposal with its staff in “collective negotiations” before making a decision, and if the proposal goes through it will “result in the reduction of maximum 60 positions”.
Ubisoft’s Tencent-backed subsidiary, Vantage Studios, officially started this month. The new subsidiary oversees Ubisoft’s three biggest IPs – Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six – and while it will remain part of the Ubisoft group, it will have full autonomy on each franchise’s creative direction and business plan.
