Ubisoft Lays Off 40 in Toronto Amid Restructuring, Splinter Cell Remake Unaffected

Ubisoft has confirmed another round of layoffs, this time affecting its Toronto studio. The company is reportedly laying off 40 employees as part of its recent studio-wide restructuring effort. Last month, Ubisoft closed smaller studios and canceled big projects like Prince of Persia Remake, following an aggressive push into live-service gaming that failed to meet expectations.

Ubisoft trims Toronto team as cost-cutting efforts continue

In a statement provided to MobileSyrup, Ubisoft noted that the decision “was not taken lightly” and clarified that the layoffs do not reflect the talent or dedication of the affected employees. The company added that it will provide severance packages and career transition support.

Despite announcing layoffs, Ubisoft Toronto remains an important part of the publisher’s pipeline. The studio continues work on the long-announced Splinter Cell remake, first revealed in 2021. However, we haven’t seen gameplay footage yet. That said, the company is reportedly also contributing to ongoing projects, including support work on Rainbow Six Siege alongside Ubisoft Montreal.

Following a pandemic-era hiring surge, many game companies have since scaled back, with surveys indicating that a significant portion of developers have faced job losses in the past two years. Let’s not forget that Riot Games also recently laid off nearly 80 developers from the 2XKO team.

Speaking of developers and games, it’s worth noting that a recent survey by GDC revealed that game developers around the globe are increasingly prioritizing Windows PC over consoles.