Ubisoft asks one in six German staff to take voluntary buyouts

[Annie71]

Ubisoft wants about 100 of the roughly 600 staff at its German studios to leave voluntarily. Kotaku's John Walker reports, citing Game File, that the cuts would affect studios in Düsseldorf, Berlin and Mainz. Those teams mainly work on Anno, Rayman, Might and Magic, Prince of Persia and Beyond Good and Evil

The plan is to use voluntary departures with buyouts rather than layoffs. A Ubisoft representative said talks with the works council started last week. Game File's sources say the buyout would be calculated as monthly salary multiplied by 1.5 times years of service, although that has not been finalised

Düsseldorf is the biggest of the three studios, with just over 400 staff. The German studios already lost 185 jobs in 2025, so this is another difficult round for teams that have been through a lot recently

The news follows Ubisoft's plan, announced earlier this week, to close RedLynx in Finland and cut 70 jobs at Ubisoft Singapore. It is all part of a wider reorganisation of the company into what it calls creative houses

Voluntary buyouts are kinder than compulsory layoffs, and Germany's works council system gives staff a real voice in the process. Still, losing a sixth of a studio's people will affect what those teams can make. Anno fans in particular will be hoping the series is protected

Are voluntary buyouts a fairer way to reduce staff? And which Ubisoft series are you most worried about?

The Ubisoft Carnage Continues, With One In Six German Staff Asked To Voluntarily Resignkotaku.com