Ubisoft Barcelona Staff Plan Strikes Over Proposed Layoffs

Workers at Ubisoft Barcelona are set to strike over proposed layoffs that could affect 51 employees at the studio. The action is being organized by Spanish union La Confederación General del Trabajo, with strikes planned on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from June 30 through July 17, according to details reported in English by Insider Gaming.

The union is pushing for binding negotiations around a new mandate for the studio, with the goal of keeping the 51 affected staff in place. Workers are also asking Ubisoft to commit to no further mass layoffs at the Barcelona studio for at least five years.

Other demands include honoring promotions that the union says had already been agreed to before being “unilaterally paralysed by the company,” allowing staff to work from home 60% of the month, and formally reviewing salary improvement plans and social benefits.

The Barcelona cuts were announced earlier this year as part of a wider Ubisoft restructuring that also included the closure of Ubisoft Winnipeg and Ubisoft Belgrade, with 380 roles at risk across the company. Ubisoft said at the time that the Barcelona studio would shift to focus entirely on the Rainbow Six franchise.

The dispute comes after several years of cost-cutting at Ubisoft. In January, the company said it was starting a “final” round of reductions aimed at saving €200 million.