40 staff stage strike at Ubisoft Paris development studio

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Ubisoft Paris unions call for strike on Friday




A group of around 40 Ubisoft staff downed tools to strike last Friday, following calls by unions for workers to take action.


Staff held a meeting in the cafeteria at Ubisoft’s Paris-based development studio, where the company builds games in the Ghost Recon and Just Dance series, Axios reported.


According to a worker who was present, the discussion included talk on the current troubled state of Ubisoft, the pressures of crunch and plans for future strike action.

Ubisoft recently delayed Skull and Bones yet again.


Around 15 percent of the studio attended the meeting. There was no formal protest of the kind we’ve seen elsewhere, and no suggestion anyone stopped work at Ubisoft’s nearby Paris headquarters.


“This strike has helped build the next strikes to come,” an attendee said. “If Ubisoft management doesn’t want to hear from us, they might understand that it’s the workers who decide when games are released.”


Ubisoft has had a tumultuous start to 2023, with disappointing financial results sparking a round of fresh projects being cancelled and strong words from the company’s CEO Yves Guillemot, who told staff that the “ball is in your court to deliver”.


The comment inflamed some staff already upset at working conditions and the company’s leadership, and prompted Guillemot to apologise.

Despite that apology, staff and unions have called for better pay and a four day working week, as well as better management of development crunch.

Ubisoft declined to comment on Friday’s strike.





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