Ubisoft, a software company, has announced the closure of its Halifax studio, resulting in 71 employees losing their jobs. The decision to shut down the studio, where 17,000 people work globally, is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency and reduce expenses.
According to a company statement, Ubisoft has been implementing various strategies over the past two years to streamline operations and lower costs. The closure was also influenced by the declining revenue of the video game “Assassin’s Creed Rebellion,” which the Halifax studio was developing and released in 2018.
In late December, 60 workers at the Halifax studio formed the first union in North America for Ubisoft. Responding to inquiries, Ubisoft’s spokesperson Antoine Leduc-Labelle clarified that the restructuring process had commenced before the unionization efforts began in June 2025.
T.J. Gillis, a senior server developer at Ubisoft Halifax for five years, expressed disappointment over the sudden closure, highlighting the lack of employment opportunities for game developers in the region following the closure of Microsoft’s Alpha Dog studio in 2024. Gillis also emphasized the studio employees’ decision to unionize due to industry trends of studio closures.
The employee union, CWA Canada, intends to seek explanations from Ubisoft regarding the abrupt closure and ensure that it was not influenced by the unionization. President Carmel Smyth stated that they would demand transparency from Ubisoft regarding the closure motivations.
Gillis remarked on the impact of the closure, noting the loss of years of work and collaboration among colleagues. The closure has left game developers in the province with limited options for employment, further complicating the industry landscape.