Ubisoft is calling devs back into the office for three days a week

Ubisoft is implementing a return-to-office policy across its entire studio structure. The news comes a year after the company rolled out a similar mandate at Ubisoft Montreal.

Per VentureBeat, employees will be required to work in-office for three days each week. Individual divisions will choose when that policy takes effect based on "their own timetables."

According to the outlet, Ubisoft teams currently spend half their time in the office, and one-third of team members work together in-person. The new three-day mandate will purportedly create consistency across all teams and offices.

The developer also claimed the policy will enhance "creativity and teamwork" while "respecting individual circumstances."

"Being together in person also helps solve problems and make decisions more effectively," wrote chief studios and portfolio officer Marie-Sophie de Waubert. "[It's] even more important for newcomers who need to master our tools and understand our ways of doing things."

"Creating video games is a collective journey," she concluded, "and we are confident that this evolution is the best way to move forward as one team."

Returning to the office isn't always simple

As it seemed the pandemic was winding down, studios began to move away from remote work and switched to a hybrid approach, or fully returned to in-person work.

Both have resulted in complications for developers, particularly those who felt remote work agreed with them, either financially or physically. And beyond a lack of in-person communication, some have argued working remotely didn't affect development that much.

When Ubisoft told Montreal workers to return to the office last year, some felt the company went back on its stance about remote work. Others suggested it was a move designed to push workers out without the need for severance.

In her letter, de Waubert said this new rule was made "in consultation with the entire executive committee, and all entity, production zone and studio leaders. [...] It's essential to build mutual trust within and between teams, nurture a sense of belonging, and make the most of our culture."

Ubisoft's full letter to staff about its new office mandate can be read here.