What Happened at Ubisoft Barcelona?
Ubisoft Barcelona has laid off 51 employees just weeks after the team shipped Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced. Isabel Codina García, a Quality Assurance and Quality Control lead who worked at the studio for seven years, shared the news on LinkedIn. She wrote that “this is not how I imagined it would end.” The cuts are part of a wider company restructuring that has shocked workers and sparked a strike.
Quick Facts: Ubisoft Barcelona Layoffs (2025)
– Affected staff: 51 employees
– Reason: Final stage of a €200 million cost-cutting plan
– Studio closures: Winnipeg (Canada) and Belgrade (Serbia) shut down completely
– Worker response: Strike organized by Spanish union La Confederación General del Trabajo
– Future focus: Barcelona studio will now work only on the Rainbow Six franchise
– Previous cuts: Stockholm and Halifax offices closed; three IPs canceled; Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake scrapped
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Why Did Ubisoft Cut Jobs at Barcelona?
The layoffs hit right after the Barcelona team finished work on Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. But according to García, the studio will not receive any new Assassin's Creed projects, even though the team pitched fresh ideas for the series. This means Barcelona's role in the franchise is over.
Ubisoft says these job cuts mark the end of its €200 million cost-reduction plan. That plan already led to the closure of studios in Stockholm and Halifax, the cancellation of three unannounced games, and the complete halt of the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake. The Barcelona team is the latest victim.
Workers did not take the news quietly. The Spanish union La Confederación General del Trabajo organized a strike at Ubisoft Barcelona. Union leaders want the company to enter negotiations to keep the 51 laid off staff. They are also demanding a five-year job protection guarantee for the remaining workers.
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What Does the Switch to Rainbow Six Mean?
Going forward, Ubisoft Barcelona will focus entirely on the Rainbow Six franchise. This is a major shift for a studio known for its work on Assassin's Creed titles. The team had proposed new Assassin's Creed projects, but management said no.
From what we've seen, this move feels like a survival tactic. Ubisoft has been tightening its belt hard over the last two years. By narrowing Barcelona's focus to one big live-service game, the publisher hopes to reduce costs and keep resources concentrated on a proven winner. Rainbow Six Siege still pulls in solid revenue, so it makes business sense. But for the creative staff who wanted to build more Assassin's Creed worlds, it's a tough pill to swallow.
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How Does This Compare to Other Studio Layoffs in 2025?
Ubisoft is not alone. The wider video game industry has seen brutal cuts in 2025. Here's how Ubisoft's actions stack up against others:
| Company | Employees Laid Off | Studios Closed | Notable Cancellations |
|———|——————-|—————-|———————–|
| Ubisoft | 51 (Barcelona) plus other waves | Winnipeg, Belgrade, Stockholm, Halifax | Three IPs, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake |
| Microsoft | 650+ (2025 rounds) | Several ZeniMax/Bethesda teams | Unannounced titles |
| Sony | 900+ | London Studio, other cuts | Multiple live-service projects |
| EA | 670+ | Ridgeline Games | Star Wars first-person shooter |
Ubisoft's total layoffs across 2024 and 2025 exceed 2,500 employees. The €200 million plan is one of the most aggressive cost-saving pushes in recent memory.
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What's Next for the Affected Workers?
Isabel Codina García's farewell post on LinkedIn shows the human cost behind the numbers. After seven years at Ubisoft Barcelona, she expected a different goodbye. She is not alone. Dozens of QA, QC, design, and production staff now face an uncertain job market.
The strike in Barcelona puts pressure on Ubisoft to negotiate. The union wants real talks, not just severance packages. A five-year job guarantee for remaining staff would be rare in the games industry, but it shows how desperate workers are for stability.
Ubisoft has not commented on the strike or whether it will negotiate. The company's statement focused on closing the cost-cutting chapter, calling the Barcelona layoffs the last piece of that plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many people did Ubisoft Barcelona lay off?
Ubisoft Barcelona laid off 51 employees. The cuts happened shortly after the team shipped Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced.
Why are Ubisoft Barcelona workers on strike?
Workers are striking because they want the company to rehire the laid off staff and provide a five-year job protection guarantee for the remaining team. The Spanish union La Confederación General del Trabajo organized the strike.
Will Ubisoft Barcelona make more Assassin's Creed games?
No. Ubisoft has confirmed that the Barcelona studio will not receive any new Assassin's Creed projects. The team proposed new ideas, but management rejected them. The studio will now focus only on the Rainbow Six franchise.
What other studios did Ubisoft close in this cost-cutting plan?
Ubisoft closed studios in Winnipeg, Canada, and Belgrade, Serbia. Earlier, it closed studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and Halifax, Canada. The publisher also canceled three unannounced games and scrapped the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake.
Is Ubisoft done with layoffs after Barcelona?
Ubisoft says the Barcelona cuts are the final stage of its €200 million cost-cutting plan. However, given the industry's ongoing instability, no one can say for sure if more cuts will come.
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