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Ubisoft France Strike 2025: Gaming's Labor Crisis Explained [2025]

French Ubisoft workers voted to strike February 10-12 over layoffs, office mandates, and cost-cutting. What's happening at Ubisoft and what it means for game...

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Ubisoft France Strike 2025: Gaming's Labor Crisis Explained [2025]
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Ubisoft France Strike 2025: Gaming's Labor Crisis Explained

When you think about video games, you probably think about fun. Epic stories. Incredible graphics. But there's another conversation happening right now in the industry—one about the people actually making those games, and whether they're getting treated fairly.

In early 2025, workers at Ubisoft's Paris headquarters did something that's becoming increasingly common in the gaming world. They voted to strike. Not because they wanted to, but because they felt they had no other choice. The reasons? Aggressive layoffs, mandatory return-to-office policies, and what they describe as management's relentless obsession with cutting costs at any expense.

This isn't just about Ubisoft. This is about a fundamental shift happening across the entire gaming industry. For decades, game developers have accepted brutal working conditions as "part of the job." Crunch culture, layoffs during profitable years, and cost-cutting that seems to always target workers instead of executives. But something's changing. Workers are organizing, unionizing, and saying "no more."

The Ubisoft strike represents a critical moment. It's a test case for what happens when one of the world's largest game publishers tries to squeeze every penny from its workforce. And more importantly, it shows what workers are willing to do to fight back.

Let's break down exactly what happened at Ubisoft, why it happened, and what it means for the future of game development as an industry.

The Breaking Point: How Ubisoft Got Here

Ubisoft didn't wake up one morning in 2025 and suddenly start cutting jobs. The crisis at the company has been building for years, and it finally hit a critical mass that forced workers to act.

For context, 2024 was a rough year for Ubisoft. The company released several high-profile games that underperformed. Star Wars Outlaws came in below expectations. Massive franchises like Assassin's Creed struggled to maintain momentum. Meanwhile, the broader gaming industry was dealing with shifting player preferences and increased competition from independent studios and smaller developers.

So what did Ubisoft do? It did what many large publishers do when faced with financial pressure. It cut costs aggressively. But the way Ubisoft approached those cuts rubbed workers the wrong way—because the burden fell almost entirely on employees, not on executive compensation or strategic mistakes.

The company's strategy seemed to follow a pattern: when profit margins shrink, fire people. Not all people equally, though. Executive salaries remained stable. Board compensation stayed intact. But developers, artists, designers, and support staff? They got the axe.

The Halifax Closure: A Turning Point

The situation came to a head in the most dramatic way possible. Just sixteen days after Ubisoft's Halifax studio successfully unionized, the company shut it down entirely. That's not a coincidence. Workers saw it as retaliation—a message to other studios thinking about unionization.

Halifax had about 200 employees. All of them were told their jobs were gone. The timing was shocking, even by gaming industry standards where studio closures are common. What made this different was the speed and the obvious connection to unionization efforts.

Workers at Halifax had gone through the effort of organizing, securing union representation, and then boom. Studio closed. Hundreds of jobs eliminated. It felt like a punch in the gut, and frankly, it probably was intentional. Whether it was retaliatory or not, it sent a clear signal: Ubisoft wasn't interested in negotiating with unions.

Then came Stockholm. A few weeks after Halifax, Ubisoft announced the closure of its Stockholm studio as well. That's another studio gone. More jobs eliminated. More developers out of work.

The Cascading Layoffs

But the closures were just the beginning. Ubisoft also announced:

  • Cancellation of six games in active development
  • Delayed releases of seven additional titles
  • Proposed cuts of 200 jobs specifically at the Paris headquarters
  • A restructuring that would affect studios worldwide

The numbers are staggering. We're talking about potentially thousands of people losing their jobs at a company that made over $2 billion in revenue the previous year. This isn't a company on the brink of bankruptcy. This is a profitable company choosing to cut its workforce as a cost-management strategy.

And here's where the workers got furious. These weren't tactical cuts aimed at underperforming departments. These were broad-based reductions that would affect experienced developers, leads, and people who'd been with the company for years.

The Breaking Point: How Ubisoft Got Here - contextual illustration
The Breaking Point: How Ubisoft Got Here - contextual illustration

Market Share in the Gaming Industry
Market Share in the Gaming Industry

Estimated data shows mobile games leading the market, with AAA games holding a significant but smaller share than before.

The Return-to-Office Mandate: The Last Straw

Layoffs alone might have prompted action. But then Ubisoft did something that really triggered workers. The company announced that everyone had to return to the office five days a week. Permanently. No exceptions.

This doesn't sound dramatic if you're not paying attention, but it's actually huge for several reasons.

First, Ubisoft had previously agreed to two work-from-home days per week. That was a hard-won concession from workers who fought for flexibility. Many developers had structured their lives around this arrangement. Some moved to cheaper areas. Others arranged childcare around their flexible schedule. Eliminating that flexibility overnight was disruptive.

Second, and this is the part that really matters: the timing. Announcing a full return-to-office mandate while simultaneously cutting jobs looks like a cost-cutting strategy disguised as an efficiency measure. Here's the thinking: if you require everyone in the office five days a week, some people will quit rather than deal with the commute or life disruption. Problem solved. Headcount reduced. Cost cut. No severance required.

Workers understood this. They weren't stupid. And at least one developer made it public. On Linked In, a Ubisoft employee expressed his opposition to the mandate. The company's response? Suspend him without pay for three days.

That's it. That's the moment that probably sealed the deal for a strike vote. Workers realized that Ubisoft wasn't interested in dialogue or negotiation. The company was willing to punish dissent with suspension. That's not how you manage a healthy workplace. That's how you create an adversarial relationship with your workforce.

The Return-to-Office Mandate: The Last Straw - contextual illustration
The Return-to-Office Mandate: The Last Straw - contextual illustration

Timeline of Key Events in Game Industry Labor History
Timeline of Key Events in Game Industry Labor History

Estimated data shows a gradual increase in unionization efforts, public awareness, and company policy changes from 2018 to 2021, highlighting growing momentum in the game industry's labor movement.

Understanding French Labor Law and the Strike

Now, you might wonder why a strike in France matters more than strikes in other places. The answer has to do with how French labor law works, and how much power workers actually have in France compared to other countries.

France has some of the strongest worker protections in the world. When a company wants to lay off workers, it can't just do it. There's a formal process called the Rupture Conventionnelle Collective (RCC). What this means in practice is that the company and unions have to negotiate the terms of the layoffs together.

So when Ubisoft proposed cutting 200 jobs at Paris headquarters, the company couldn't just do it unilaterally. Unions had to agree. That's huge leverage for workers. It means strikes aren't just symbolic—they can actually force a company to negotiate seriously.

Union Representation at Ubisoft

Ubisoft Paris has multiple unions representing different groups of workers. The strike was called by the Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo, which translates to the Video Game Worker's Union. This is a specifically gaming-focused union that understands the unique pressures in the industry.

The union wasn't making unreasonable demands. They were calling for:

  • A halt to aggressive cost-cutting at the expense of worker conditions
  • Real accountability from executives
  • Protection of existing work-from-home arrangements
  • Job security protections

These aren't radical demands. They're baseline expectations for how a company should treat its workforce. But apparently, Ubisoft management wasn't willing to meet even these expectations.

Understanding French Labor Law and the Strike - visual representation
Understanding French Labor Law and the Strike - visual representation

Why Gaming Workers Are Fed Up

Ubisoft's situation didn't happen in a vacuum. The gaming industry has a serious problem with how it treats workers, and the Ubisoft strike is just one symptom of a much larger disease.

For decades, game development has been characterized by what's called "crunch culture." This is the practice of working extremely long hours, often without extra pay, to meet deadline pressures. A developer working 60, 70, or even 80-hour weeks is considered normal in many studios. It's expected. It's treated as a sign of passion and commitment.

Except it's not sustainable. It burns people out. It causes health problems. It leads to mistakes that then require more overtime to fix. And it's primarily justified by a mythology that game development is inherently difficult and requires sacrifice.

But here's the thing: it doesn't actually have to be that way. Smaller studios, independent developers, and some forward-thinking larger companies have proven that you can make great games without destroying your workforce. The crunch culture isn't a technical necessity. It's a business choice.

The Myth of Gaming Passion

There's another factor that makes gaming workers vulnerable. The industry has cultivated this idea that game developers are so passionate about their work that normal labor standards don't apply. "You get to work in games!" is the implicit pitch. "You're living the dream! Stop complaining about the 70-hour weeks."

This is a manipulation tactic, whether intentional or not. Yes, most people working in games do care about the medium. But caring about your work shouldn't mean sacrificing your health, your family time, or your financial security.

Workers are starting to push back on this mythology. They're saying: "Yes, I love games. But I also deserve a sustainable work life. Those two things aren't mutually exclusive."

The Broader Industry Problem

Ubisoft isn't the only company pulling this stuff. Across the industry, workers are organizing:

  • Activision Blizzard workers have unionized
  • Rockstar Games employees faced massive crunch periods
  • Telltale Games shut down suddenly, leaving workers with no severance
  • Quality Assurance teams at major studios are frequently underpaid and overworked

The pattern is consistent. Publishers make enormous amounts of money. Executives are compensated generously. But workers who actually create the products? They face layoffs, crunch, and stagnant wages.

The Ubisoft strike is significant because it's organized, public, and backed by French labor law. It's not just individual workers complaining. It's a coordinated effort with legal standing.

Why Gaming Workers Are Fed Up - visual representation
Why Gaming Workers Are Fed Up - visual representation

Impact of Ubisoft's Cost-Cutting Measures
Impact of Ubisoft's Cost-Cutting Measures

Estimated data shows that Ubisoft's cost-cutting measures heavily impacted developers, artists, designers, and support staff, while executive and board compensations remained stable.

The February 10-12 Strike: What Actually Happened

On February 10, 2025, Ubisoft employees in Paris stopped working. The strike was initially planned for three days, through February 12. But what does a strike actually mean in the context of a video game studio?

It means production stops. Developers don't code. Artists don't create assets. Designers don't design. Test builds don't get tested. Meetings don't happen. The entire machine grinds to a halt.

For a company like Ubisoft that's managing multiple game projects, a three-day strike impacts timelines. It delays releases. It pushes back development schedules. For a company already dealing with canceled games and missed projections, a production halt is expensive.

Solidarity Across Departments

What was significant about the strike was the breadth of participation. This wasn't just programmers. It was artists, designers, producers, QA staff, and support workers. Everyone involved in game development took action together.

This kind of cross-departmental solidarity is crucial. Management can try to claim that striking workers are just a vocal minority, but when you see every department walking out, the message is clear: workers across all roles support this action.

International Support

The French strike also received public support from gaming workers and labor advocates internationally. Game industry workers in other countries, even where unionization is weaker or less legal, posted solidarity messages and followed the developments closely.

This international attention matters. It amplifies the message. It shows that gaming workers everywhere are dealing with similar issues and are watching to see if France's stronger labor protections can actually force companies to negotiate fairly.

Management's Response and the Negotiation Standoff

Ubisoft management's public response to the strike was restrained. The company didn't make major public statements attacking the strikers. Instead, management took a quieter approach: continue operations at other studios, minimize disruption, and wait it out.

But behind the scenes, negotiations were happening. The RCC process in French law requires negotiations between company and unions. Ubisoft couldn't just ignore the strike and the union demands.

The gap between what workers wanted and what management was willing to offer was significant. Workers wanted:

  • Protection against the proposed 200 job cuts at Paris
  • Restoration of work-from-home policies
  • Clear job security terms
  • Accountability for executive decisions

Management wanted:

  • Flexibility to reduce headcount
  • Full office return for collaboration (or so they claimed)
  • Minimal changes to existing policies

These positions were far apart. A three-day strike might not be enough to force major concessions. But it sends a message: workers are willing to take action.

Management's Response and the Negotiation Standoff - visual representation
Management's Response and the Negotiation Standoff - visual representation

AI Tool Benefits During Industry Transitions
AI Tool Benefits During Industry Transitions

AI tools like Runable can significantly improve efficiency in report generation, presentation creation, and documentation automation during industry transitions. Estimated data.

The Ripple Effects on Game Development

When Ubisoft Paris workers went on strike, it didn't just affect Ubisoft. It sent shock waves through the industry.

Project Delays

Any strike at a major studio causes delays. Games in development get pushed back. Features planned for release get postponed. Sometimes entire releases are rescheduled. For Ubisoft, which already had a track record of game delays in 2024, additional delays compound existing problems.

These delays cost money. Publishing companies lose revenue when games don't release on schedule. Marketing campaigns have to be adjusted. Revenue projections get missed. It creates a ripple effect through the entire company.

Talent Drain

More significantly, the strike and the surrounding layoff announcements likely triggered talent drain. Experienced developers at Ubisoft, seeing the company's direction, probably started looking for jobs elsewhere. That's the invisible cost of a strike and labor unrest—the best people often leave first.

When you're a talented game developer with options, you don't stay at a company that's cutting jobs, implementing draconian return-to-office policies, and suspending people for speaking up. You go to a company that respects its workers.

Ubisoft likely lost people it couldn't afford to lose. That expertise is hard to replace.

Pressure on Other Studios

The Ubisoft strike also put pressure on other studios in the industry to take worker concerns seriously. If a major publisher can face organized labor action, then so can anyone. Other companies started reconsidering their own labor practices, at least publicly.

Some studios might improve conditions preemptively, hoping to avoid unionization. Others would dig in and oppose worker organizing efforts. But the conversation shifted. Labor issues weren't invisible anymore.

Why This Matters Beyond Ubisoft

The Ubisoft strike in February 2025 is significant not just because of what happened at Ubisoft, but because of what it represents for the entire gaming industry.

For the first time in a major way, workers at a major game publisher successfully organized, got union representation, and took coordinated action. And they did it at a company that's one of the biggest publishers in the world.

The Unionization Movement in Gaming

Gaming has historically been a non-union industry. Unlike other entertainment sectors—film, television, music—where unions have existed for decades, gaming workers largely worked without union protection.

That's been changing. Over the past few years, unionization efforts at major studios have become more common. What was once unthinkable is now becoming normalized. Workers are realizing they have power when they organize.

The Ubisoft strike proves this. A strike is only effective if workers have real leverage. Ubisoft's leverage came from the fact that production stopped. Games didn't get made. Revenue was at risk. That forced management to at least come to the negotiation table.

Changing Industry Culture

Beyond unionization, the strike also signals a shift in gaming culture. For decades, the industry sold itself as a place where passion mattered more than money, where long hours and low pay were acceptable because you got to work on cool games.

That narrative is dying. Workers are rejecting it. They're saying: "I can be passionate about games AND deserve fair compensation, reasonable hours, and job security."

This shift in culture makes it harder for companies to exploit workers. When the old justifications stop working, companies have to actually improve conditions to attract and retain talent.

The Role of French Labor Law

French labor law played a crucial role in making this strike possible. Without strong worker protections and the RCC process, the strike would have been mostly symbolic. Management could have ignored it, weathered a few days of bad press, and then continued with their plans.

But French law gave unions actual power. They had to negotiate. They couldn't just dismiss the strike as the complaints of a few dissidents.

This highlights an important divide in the gaming industry. Game developers in countries with strong labor protections have more leverage than those in countries with weaker protections. That's part of why unionization efforts in Europe (France, Germany, UK) are stronger than in North America or Asia.

Why This Matters Beyond Ubisoft - visual representation
Why This Matters Beyond Ubisoft - visual representation

Impact of Ubisoft Strike on Game Development
Impact of Ubisoft Strike on Game Development

The Ubisoft strike had significant ripple effects, notably causing project delays and revenue loss. Estimated data.

The Broader Context: Gaming Industry Economics

To really understand why this strike happened and why it matters, you need to understand the economics of the modern gaming industry.

The Triple-A Game Crisis

Triple-A games—the big-budget blockbusters that companies like Ubisoft make—have become incredibly expensive to produce. A modern AAA game can cost

100millionto100 million to
200 million or more. That's a massive investment.

With budgets that high, publishers need massive sales to break even. And sales expectations keep increasing. A game that sells 5 million copies might be considered a failure if it was expected to sell 10 million.

This creates constant pressure to cut costs. And where does that pressure go? To workers. Development teams are squeezed for efficiency. Timelines are compressed. Quality expectations remain high while resources shrink.

The Shift in Gaming Preferences

At the same time, what players want has been changing. Mobile gaming, free-to-play games, and indie games have eaten into AAA's dominance. Console gaming still matters, but it's a smaller piece of the overall market.

Ubisoft, Rockstar, EA—these publishers still make massive games. But the audience for those games isn't growing the way it used to. Markets are fragmenting. Competition is increasing.

Instead of adapting their business model, some publishers chose to keep the same business model but cut costs. And that meant cutting people.

Executive Compensation vs. Worker Pay

Here's a number that tells you everything about modern gaming economics: In 2024, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot made approximately 80 times the salary of an average Ubisoft employee.

That's the ratio at a company that's laying off thousands of workers and cutting back on work-from-home benefits. The person at the top is making 80 times what the people actually making the games are earning.

Workers look at those numbers and think: "We're not cutting costs because the company can't afford to pay us. We're cutting costs because executives want to maximize profits and executive compensation."

That realization drives unionization and strikes. It's not a secret. It's just math.

The Broader Context: Gaming Industry Economics - visual representation
The Broader Context: Gaming Industry Economics - visual representation

Lessons from Game Industry Labor History

This isn't the first time game developers have fought back against poor working conditions. But it's notable how much more organized and effective recent efforts have been.

The Telltale Games Collapse

In 2018, Telltale Games shut down suddenly, firing almost everyone without severance. It was a shock to the industry. Hundreds of developers lost their jobs with no warning. Many faced financial hardship.

The Telltale collapse became a rallying point for game workers. It showed how vulnerable developers could be, even at established studios. It sparked conversations about job security and worker protections.

But it didn't immediately lead to widespread unionization. Instead, it took several more years and multiple similar incidents before workers started organizing systematically.

Rockstar's Crunch Culture

Rockstar Games became infamous for demanding extreme crunch from its workforce. During the development of Red Dead Redemption 2, employees reported working 100-hour weeks. The company made billions of dollars. Employees got paid normal salaries.

When Red Dead Redemption 2 released in 2018, it was celebrated as a technical masterpiece. But workers told stories of burnout, health problems, and exhaustion. Some quit the industry entirely.

These stories eventually made their way to public discourse. Consumers started asking: "Did I really want to buy a game made under these conditions?" That question created market pressure on publishers to improve working conditions.

Activision Blizzard's Reckoning

In 2021, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for workplace harassment and discrimination. The lawsuit revealed a toxic workplace culture that had persisted for years.

Activision's workers responded with their own action. They organized. They unionized. They went on strike. The company that had previously seemed untouchable had to actually change policies and management.

Activision Blizzard's situation showed that even the biggest companies could be pressured by organized workers. That provided a roadmap for workers at other studios.

Lessons from Game Industry Labor History - visual representation
Lessons from Game Industry Labor History - visual representation

What the Strike Means for the Future

The Ubisoft strike in February 2025 is a turning point, but not a complete victory. It demonstrated that organized workers can force negotiations. It proved that strikes can be effective even at massive corporations.

But it also highlighted how much further the fight needs to go. Even with union representation and strong French labor law, workers are still fighting for basics like job security and the right to work from home.

Unionization Will Continue

Following Ubisoft's example, more game studios will likely see unionization efforts. Workers have seen that organizing can work. They've seen that collective action has power.

Not every unionization effort will succeed. Some companies will fight harder than others. But the trend is clear. Game development is moving toward a unionized industry.

Corporate Culture Will Change

Publishers like Ubisoft are realizing that they can't just impose harsh working conditions without consequences. They'll face strikes. They'll face public relations problems. They'll lose talent.

Some companies will respond by improving working conditions. Others will double down and fight unions. But the days of workers silently accepting exploitation are ending.

Player Expectations Will Shift

As news about labor practices spreads, players are becoming more aware of the conditions under which games are made. "Ethical consumption" becomes a consideration in purchasing decisions.

This creates market pressure. A company with a reputation for poor labor practices might see sales suffer. That's an incentive for companies to improve conditions, even beyond what unions can force them to do.

Regulatory Attention

Governments are starting to pay attention to gaming industry labor issues. France's strong labor law already provides significant worker protections. Other countries might follow with their own regulations.

Regulation could force industry-wide standards for working conditions, wages, and job security. That would level the playing field and prevent race-to-the-bottom scenarios where companies compete on who can exploit workers most effectively.

What the Strike Means for the Future - visual representation
What the Strike Means for the Future - visual representation

How AI Tools Like Runable Help During Industry Transitions

During periods of industry disruption—like labor strikes and restructuring—companies often need to quickly adapt their operations and communications. Tools designed for rapid content creation and workflow automation become valuable.

Platforms like Runable help companies and organizations communicate clearly during crises. They can generate reports, create presentations, and automate documentation quickly when normal workflows are disrupted by strikes or restructuring. For a company managing the fallout from labor disputes, having Runable's AI-powered automation at $9/month means rapid response to stakeholder communications without needing to dedicate creative resources that are already stretched thin during a crisis.

How AI Tools Like Runable Help During Industry Transitions - visual representation
How AI Tools Like Runable Help During Industry Transitions - visual representation

The Path Forward for Game Workers

The Ubisoft strike represents a critical moment, but it's not an ending. It's a beginning. Workers have shown they're willing to organize and take action. Management has shown it won't willingly improve conditions without pressure.

The path forward requires sustained effort. Workers need to:

  • Continue organizing at other studios
  • Build solidarity across the industry and internationally
  • Document and publicize poor working conditions
  • Support each other through strikes and labor disputes
  • Work with regulators to establish industry standards

Publishers, meanwhile, need to realize that the old model isn't sustainable. Workers aren't disposable. The best developers will go to companies that treat them well. Good working conditions are actually good business.

For players, it means being aware of labor issues when purchasing games. It means asking: "Did this game get made under ethical conditions?" Not every player will make purchasing decisions based on labor ethics, but enough will to create market pressure.

The gaming industry is at a crossroads. One path leads to continued exploitation, race-to-the-bottom working conditions, and eventual talent drain that destroys the industry's ability to innovate. The other path leads to an industry where workers are valued, treated fairly, and excited about the work they do.

The Ubisoft strike in February 2025 was a vote for the second path. Whether the industry follows that direction depends on what happens next.

The Path Forward for Game Workers - visual representation
The Path Forward for Game Workers - visual representation

FAQ

What started the Ubisoft strike?

The Ubisoft strike was triggered by a combination of factors: the shutdown of the Halifax studio just 16 days after it unionized, the closure of the Stockholm studio, proposed layoffs of 200 employees at Paris headquarters, cancellation of six games, delays of seven others, and a new mandatory five-day-per-week office return policy that reversed previous work-from-home arrangements. Workers also reported that expressing opposition to the office mandate resulted in suspensions without pay.

How many Ubisoft workers participated in the strike?

The strike specifically involved employees at Ubisoft's Paris headquarters, the largest Ubisoft studio in Europe with thousands of workers. The exact participation numbers weren't fully disclosed publicly, but the strike was called by five unions representing workers at the company, indicating broad organizational support across multiple departments.

What is the Rupture Conventionnelle Collective (RCC) process?

The RCC is a French legal requirement for how companies must handle collective layoffs. Companies cannot simply fire workers in large numbers. Instead, they must negotiate with unions and workers to reach mutual agreement on the terms of the layoffs, including severance, timing, and protections. This gives unions and workers significant leverage in negotiations that wouldn't exist in countries without such protections.

Have other game studios been unionized?

Yes, unionization is becoming more common in gaming. Activision Blizzard workers have unionized at multiple studios. Rockstar Games workers have organized. Quality assurance staff at various studios have unionized. Game development in France and other European countries with strong labor laws has seen more successful unionization than in North America, where labor protections are weaker.

What impact did the strike have on Ubisoft's games?

The three-day strike from February 10-12 caused production delays across multiple projects. Since Ubisoft was already dealing with the cancellation of six games and delays of seven others, additional delays from the strike compounded the company's problems. The strike also likely contributed to increased turnover as experienced developers began looking for work at other studios with better labor practices.

What does this mean for game industry workers worldwide?

The Ubisoft strike demonstrates that organized workers can force negotiations with major publishers, even those as large as Ubisoft. It provides a roadmap for unionization efforts at other studios. It also shifts the conversation about gaming industry labor practices into public awareness, making players more conscious of the conditions under which games are produced. Workers worldwide are paying attention to France's successful labor organizing.

Why is French labor law different from other countries?

France has significantly stronger worker protections than most other countries, including the United States. French law requires companies to negotiate with unions before implementing major layoffs. Employees have strong protections against arbitrary firing. Work hours are regulated. These protections give French workers more leverage in labor disputes than workers in countries with weaker labor laws.

Could the strike have been prevented?

The strike likely could have been prevented if Ubisoft management had engaged with workers earlier, maintained flexibility on work-from-home policies, protected jobs at the Paris studio, and demonstrated accountability for strategic decisions that led to the canceled games. Instead, management took a hardline approach that signaled it wasn't interested in negotiation, which pushed workers to strike.

What happens if Ubisoft doesn't improve conditions?

If Ubisoft doesn't improve conditions after the strike, the company will likely face additional labor actions, accelerated talent drain, and public relations damage. Players increasingly care about labor practices. A company known for poor working conditions will struggle to attract both talent and conscious consumers. Long-term, companies that don't improve conditions become less competitive.

Are game industry strikes becoming more common?

Yes, organized labor action in gaming is becoming more common. As workers gain awareness of their collective power and as unionization spreads, strikes and labor disputes will likely increase. This reflects a broader shift in the industry as workers reject old norms of crunch culture and accept the exploitation that was once seen as inevitable in game development.

FAQ - visual representation
FAQ - visual representation


Key Takeaways

  • Ubisoft's cascade of studio closures (Halifax, Stockholm), game cancellations (6 titles), and proposed 200 job cuts at Paris headquarters triggered organized strike action February 10-12
  • French labor law's RCC requirement forces companies to negotiate collective layoffs with unions, giving workers significant leverage that doesn't exist in other countries
  • The strike represents a broader unionization movement in gaming—workers increasingly recognize collective organizing as the only way to counter crunch culture and exploitation
  • Executive-to-worker pay ratios of 80:1 at Ubisoft reveal fundamental inequality driving labor unrest across major game publishers
  • Unionization trends show 17-year growth from near-zero in 2018 to 35% of major studios by 2025, signaling structural industry shift toward worker protections

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