Ubisoft Embargoed Layoff News on 380 Job Cuts as It Shut 2 Studios

3 articles · Updated · Aftermath · Jun 10

380 job losses were disclosed under a 1 p.m. ET embargo that Ubisoft gave some journalists while shutting its Winnipeg and Belgrade studios and cutting additional roles in Barcelona.
Reporters told Aftermath Ubisoft did not always spell out that the embargo concerned layoffs before they agreed, and the company contacted some outlets shortly before publication, limiting their ability to report independently.
Ubisoft reportedly said the embargo was partly because Belgrade staff were still being informed, highlighting the tension between avoiding workers learning from the press and delaying public reporting once layoffs were already circulating.
The episode has stirred criticism from developers and journalists who said honoring an embargo on layoffs can shield the company during a broader restructuring that had already closed Belgrade and Winnipeg earlier in the day.