Key Takeaways
1. Ubisoft is undergoing a significant internal overhaul to simplify operations and boost productivity in a competitive AAA market.
2. The company is canceling multiple games, including notable titles, to focus on fewer projects with a clearer vision.
3. Ubisoft will implement a full return-to-office model, requiring employees to work on-site five days a week, with limited work-from-home days.
4. The emphasis on in-person collaboration aims to enhance teamwork, communication, and overall efficiency among studios.
5. The new model is seen as a structured hybrid approach, allowing for annual flexibility in remote work while prioritizing face-to-face interaction.
Ubisoft has shared news of a significant internal overhaul as the company aims to refocus its goals and boost overall productivity. The publisher states that this initiative is designed to simplify team operations and help Ubisoft remain competitive in a challenging AAA market. As part of this strategy, the company will reduce the number of projects, close some studios, and concentrate its development efforts.
Game Cancellations
One of the most notable results of this restructuring is the cancellation of multiple games. This list includes Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, three undisclosed new IPs, and one mobile game. The company seems to be focusing on developing fewer games with a clearer vision, rather than distributing resources too thinly across a large number of titles.
New Office Model
In addition to cutting projects, Ubisoft has announced a significant change that will impact its workforce. The company plans to revert to a full return-to-office model for all teams. In this new setup, employees will be required to work on-site five days a week. Although Ubisoft will permit a limited number of work-from-home days each year, remote work will no longer be a standard part of weekly routines.
Ubisoft claims that this shift is intended to aid in the implementation of its new operating model. The company believes that having teams physically together will enhance collaboration, speed up communication, and foster stronger teamwork among studios.
Collaboration Focus
To ensure the successful execution and functioning of this new model, the Group plans to enforce five days per week on-site work for all teams, along with an annual allowance for working from home. This change aims to enhance collaboration, including ongoing knowledge sharing and the teamwork dynamic. Face-to-face collaboration is seen as a crucial driver of collective efficiency, creativity, and success in an increasingly selective AAA market.
Marie-Sophie de Waubert, Ubisoft’s Senior Vice President of Studio Operations, elaborated on the rationale behind this choice to GamesIndustry. She mentioned that Ubisoft still views this as a type of hybrid work, although it is structured differently than in the past. Instead of having regular remote work days every week, flexibility will now be provided through an annual allowance of work-from-home days.
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