Sponsored By

Report: Staff say Ubisoft is enduring a mass "exodus" of developers

Issues like creative disagreements, mishandled misconduct allegations, and competitive offers elsewhere have reportedly caused developers to depart the _Assassin's Creed _publisher.

Alissa McAloon, Publisher

December 21, 2021

1 Min Read
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Ubisoft seems to be undergoing a staff exodus as of late, with a number of developers telling Axios that projects have reportedly been stalled or slowed due to an influx of developer departures across the company's many studios.

From the outside, an increase in departures don't come as a surprise given the company's lackluster response to a number of misconduct allegations made against numerous high-ranking developers at various Ubisoft studios within the last year.

However, sources speaking to the publication add that issues like low pay, disagreements about creative direction, and enticing offers from other game development studios have also contributed to what some have internally referred to as "the great exodus" taking place over the last 18 months.

Ubisoft's Canadian studios, both Ubisoft Toronto and Ubisoft Montreal, seem to be particularly hard-hit despite both cities' growing game development industries, prompting the round of pay raises reported last month. Still, according to data grabbed by Axios, those two Canadian studios alone saw 60 departures in the last six months alone.

Meanwhile, the company maintains that both its turnover and company satisfaction rates are well within what it deems industry standards. In a statement shared with Axios, Ubisoft chief people officer Anika Grant remarked that Ubisoft's 12 percent attrition rate "is a few percentage points above where it typically is, but its still within industry norms."

About the Author

Alissa McAloon

Publisher, GameDeveloper.com

As the Publisher of Game Developer, Alissa McAloon brings a decade of experience in the video game industry and media. When not working in the world of B2B game journalism, Alissa enjoys spending her time in the worlds of immersive sandbox games or dabbling in the occasional TTRPG.

Daily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inbox

You May Also Like