There’s no doubt that layoffs are still sweeping the gaming industry. We saw nearly 10,000 people laid off last year as the industry shifted in a different direction. Some of the biggest gaming companies are looking towards live service games to generate revenue and survive.
Unfortunately, Ubisoft has announced that the studio is letting go of a significant chunk of developers at its Toronto studios. These employees were primarily focused on developing remakes of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Times and Splinter Cell. It’s going to be a long while before these titles ever hit the shelves.
Prince of Persian and Splinter Remake Developers Get Hit By Ubisoft Layoffs
Ubisoft’s Toronto studio has confirmed that its cutting 33 jobs in a brand new round of layoffs in what has been a disaster year for the games industry with thousands of job losses.
In a statement given to PC Gamer, Ubisoft Toronto has revealed it’s layoffing its workforce to streamline itself and be in a better state to deliver on its “ambitious roadmap”.
Ubisoft Toronto has decided to conduct a targeted realignment to ensure it can deliver on its ambitious roadmap.Unfortunately, this will impact the roles of 33 team members who will be leaving Ubisoft. We are committed to providing comprehensive support to them, including severance and career assistance, to help through this transition.
Ubisoft Toronto was serving as the primary developer on the much-anticipated remake of the original Splinter Cell. Additionally, earlier this month, it was revealed that the studio would be supporting the development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake.
It’s not the first time we’re witnessing layoffs plaguing Ubisoft this year. In April, the studio announced that it was planning to reorganize its Global Publishing and APAC Divisions, which led to the loss of 45 jobs.
Ubisoft Says Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell Remakes Not Affected By Layoffs
Despite the layoffs, Ubisoft has said that work on both projects will not be affected by layoffs. However, many players in the community doubt Ubisoft, given their dodgy record.
Our plan remains unchanged, and our teams are working to deliver on the Splinter Cell remake and other projects at the studio.
Despite Ubisoft’s commitment to both remakes, there’s no way that these layoffs don’t affect the development of the games. It might not be an issue for the Prince of Persia remake, as Ubisoft Montreal was primarily developing it. However, the Splinter Cell remake was Ubisoft Toronto’s crown jewel.
We have a long history of game development being affected by workforce cuts. Remakes of such popular titles need proper development, which isn’t possible with a small team of developers. Let’s hope Ubisoft doesn’t fumble the bag and bring us even more disappointment.
Are you excited about Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell Remakes? Let us know in the comments.
