Ubisoft workers plan October strike as company continues to struggle

Another issue in the sea of troubles slowly rising around the company.

Yasuke and Naoe, the protagonists of Assasin's Creed Shadows
Image via Ubisoft

Ubisoft has certainly seen better days. As the week progresses, it appears the French developer is facing yet another massive issue—a potential strike come October. Staff members of Ubisoft France do not wish to comply with the company’s return-to-office call and also demand better pay amid rising prices.

Recommended Videos

According to gameindustry.biz’s report from Sept. 26, those working at Ubisoft’s French division have been “called to take part in a three-day strike” in October due to a dispute over the company’s decision to require workers to return to its offices at least three times a week. The strike, instigated by the French Video Game Workers Union (STJV), is planned to take place between Oct. 15 and 17, and comes because Ubisoft apparently made its decisions “without any tangible justification or any consultation with the workers’ representatives.”

Image showcasing Star Wars Outlaws, there is a vast expansive world on view in the image along with the main character and another creature character acting as a sidekick beside them. The main character is on a motorcycle-like machine and rocky canons are on view in the back as the player is looking out from a rocky outcrop.
Star Wars: Outlaws is Ubisoft’s latest massive endeavor resulting in disappointment. Image via Ubisoft

“After more than five years of working efficiently in the current remote-work context, many of our colleagues have built or rebuilt their lives (family life, housing, parenthood, etc.) and simply cannot return to the previous working conditions,” the union said in a statement. Profit sharing and salary boost negotiations also reportedly fell through, further aggravating union members and pushing them toward a decision to strike.

This issue is yet another in the sea of troubles faced by the French developer. On Sept. 25, Ubisoft announced it would be launching an internal review caused by poor sales of Star Wars: Outlaws. The company also delayed Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, its next flagship entry to the long-running franchise, to Feb. 14, 2025, and cancelled all appearances on game shows until further notice. This caused its stock price to take a heavy hit— it’s down 23 percent in the past five days, and 50 percent in the last six months.

Author
Image of Andrej Barovic
Andrej Barovic
Strategic Content Writer, English Major. Been in writing for 3 years. Focused mostly on the world of gaming as a whole, with particular interest in RPGs, MOBAs, FPS, and Grand Strategies. Favorite titles include Counter-Strike, The Witcher 3, Bloodborne, Sekrio, and Kenshi. Cormac McCarthy apologetic.