French video game company Ubisoft is laying off more than 50 individuals at its Stockholm-based studio, Ubisoft Stockholm, as well as its Swedish subsidiary, Massive Entertainment. The job cuts are part of the brand’s ongoing internal restructuring and cost-cutting measures, and come just days after the brand closed its newly unionized Halifax studio. Massive Entertainment, the studio behind Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and The Division franchise, is reportedly also working on an unannounced project, but it’s unclear how ongoing cuts will impact production.
Cumulatively, Ubisoft has terminated the roles of more than 120 employees in less than one week.
Ubisoft addresses layoffs in new statement
The company addressed the layoffs in an official statement given to IGN:
“Earlier today, we informed all employees in our Swedish studios (Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm) about a proposed organizational restructure that may affect approximately 55 roles across Malmö and Stockholm.
“This restructure follows the completion of the Voluntary Leave Program launched during the fall of 2025, a finalized long-term roadmap, and a completed staffing and appointment process, which together have provided clearer visibility into the structure and capacity required to support the two studios’ work and sustainably over time.
“These proposed changes are forward-looking and structural, they are not related to individual performance, recent deliveries, or the quality of the work produced by the teams.
“The long-term direction for the studios remains unchanged, and we will continue to serve as the global home and lead for to The Division franchise, move forward with an unannounced innovative tech project with a refined team setup, and play a central role in the development of Snowdrop and Ubisoft Connect.
“The proposed restructuring will begin with a focus on individual agreements and impacted employees are being informed directly and supported with care and respect inline with local regulations.”
Ubisoft, Tencent’s Vantage Studios drives massive restructuring plan
The terminations at Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft’s Halifax and Stockholm studios are the latest in a series of structural shifts, cancellations, and cost-cutting attempts from the France-based brand. In an October 2025 post on X (formerly Twitter), Massive Entertainment shared information about its “ongoing evolution and long-term planning,” adding that studio employees were introduced to “a voluntary career transition program” that would “giv[e] eligible team members the opportunity to take their next career step on their own terms, supported by a comprehensive package that includes financial and career assistance.” The post has been viewed more than 1.3 million times since October 22, and remains the account’s most recent post. Ubisoft also announced about 60 job cuts at studio RedLynx in October 2025.
Ubisoft and China-based tech conglomerate Tencent launched their joint undertaking, Vantage Studios, that same month. The studio’s creation had been in the works since January 2025 and is currently under the leadership of Ubisoft’s Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot. Derennes acted as Ubisoft North America’s Managing Director, while the latter is the son of Ubisoft co-founder Yves Guillemot.
Tencent maintains a 25% stake and serves in an advisory role, overseeing Ubisoft’s most popular IPs, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, though Derennes and Guillemot reportedly get final say in big decisions. The collaboration comprises “creative houses,” which the brands allege will “enhance quality, focus, autonomy and accountability while fostering closer connections with players.”
