Ubisoft workers strike as employees protest cuts and return-to-office rules

Ubisoft

• Over 1,200 Ubisoft workers in France staged a three-day strike
• Strikers demand a 10% pay rise and a four-day work week
• Ubisoft faces unrest over layoffs, office mandates, project cuts

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Ubisoft is facing mounting labour unrest in its home market after workers in France staged a three-day strike in protest against layoffs, cost-cutting and workplace policies. According to GamesIndustry.biz, union representatives confirmed that at least 1,200 employees participated in the action, which ran from February 10 to February 12.

While the strike was centred in France, staff at Ubisoft’s Milan office also joined in, underlining the broader unease within the company’s European workforce. The action was organised by Solidaires Informatique, a union representing workers across the French video game industry, including employees at Ubisoft and Blizzard.

The strike follows warnings issued by the union late last month, when it first threatened industrial action unless Ubisoft addressed a list of demands. These include a 10 percent pay rise for all employees and the introduction of a four-day working week, proposals that reflect wider debates across the tech and games industries about pay, burnout and working conditions.

Outside Ubisoft’s Paris headquarters, some employees gathered to demonstrate, holding placards and voicing frustration with management decisions. One protester wore a Rabbids mask to conceal their identity, a small but pointed symbol of the tension between staff and leadership.

Workers’ grievances extend beyond pay. Ubisoft has reportedly laid off hundreds of employees already in 2026 and recently imposed a requirement for staff to return to the office five days a week. That policy has proved particularly contentious. According to reports, at least one employee who publicly criticised the return-to-office mandate was dismissed, further inflaming concerns around workplace culture and freedom of expression.

The labour dispute comes at a difficult moment for Ubisoft as a business. The publisher has struggled to regain momentum after a series of commercial disappointments and delays. Last month, it confirmed the cancellation of six projects, including the long-delayed remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, alongside the closure of several studios as part of a wider restructuring effort.

With development pipelines shrinking and employee morale under strain, the strike highlights the growing disconnect between Ubisoft’s management and parts of its workforce. Whether the company chooses to negotiate or hold firm could shape not only its labour relations, but its ability to stabilise during an already turbulent period.