1,200 Ubisoft Employees Have Gone on Strike Against Cost-Cutting, Return-to-Office Mandate

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After unions asked for Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot to step down, over 1,200 employees began a three-day strike on February 10th. The strike, which ends today, is a response to Ubisoft’s decision to cut costs by closing studios and laying off workers, according to Solidaires Infomatique representative Marc Rutschlé.

It’s become apparent that Yves Guillemot doesn’t seem to understand what’s happening within his company or how it affects his employees. The company is still focused on cutting costs, which includes layoffs. This is putting a lot of strain on our teams, who are already working with limited resources. After several years of either no raises or very small ones, employees are now expecting to receive no raise this year either.

BlueSky user Mando was present during the strike and shared valuable photos and videos of employees voicing their concerns about Ubisoft’s leadership. A major issue driving the strike is Ubisoft’s requirement that employees return to the office, a policy the union has warned will negatively impact workers’ lives.

Photos show Ubisoft employees protesting with signs. One sign reads, “We make the games, not stakeholders,” and another says, “Fast travel is for games only – don’t risk our well-being.”

Rutschlé and another representative, Chakib Mataoui, had previously criticized Ubisoft’s leadership, pointing to problems with favoritism and a breakdown in trust between management and employees. Rutschlé expressed little hope for improvement, stating, “I don’t expect anything from this guy.”

Matoui explained that hiring only people from similar backgrounds – specifically, white men – stifles creativity and innovation. “In a creative field like game development, we need diverse perspectives to generate fresh ideas and make truly great games,” he said. “Right now, we’re lacking that diversity of thought.”

He explained that the return-to-office announcement caused a lot of anxiety among employees. Many had built their lives far from Paris and the studios, and now faced the prospect of moving back to an expensive city without a corresponding increase in pay.

Both sources agree that for Ubisoft to improve, Yves Guillemot needs to step down. According to Rutschlé, the strong negative feelings towards Guillemot mean he should leave to allow the company to rebuild trust with the public.

Some Ubisoft employees have faced consequences for speaking out against the company’s decision to require everyone to return to the office. David Michaud-Cromp, a lead level designer, publicly confirmed he was fired after voicing his concerns about the policy.

An employee criticized Ubisoft’s decision to require five days a week in the office, questioning their stated reason of wanting to improve collaboration. They sarcastically suggested that the real motivation isn’t about teamwork or productivity, implying there’s another, unstated reason for the change.

Ubisoft stated that they fired Michaud-Cromp because he broke their company’s rules of conduct.

I was feeling terrible this morning, but I believe in supporting workers’ rights, even when I’m not feeling well. That’s why I’m standing with the Ubisoft employees who are currently on strike.

— Mando (@mrmandolino.itch.io) 2026-02-10T10:26:40.642Z

— Mando (@mrmandolino.itch.io) 2026-02-10T11:29:36.903Z

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2026-02-12 19:12