Ubisoft, which has been undergoing intensive restructuring since partnering with Tencent in March, has now turned its focus to Massive Entertainment, the studio well-known for The Division and Star Wars Outlaws. This includes forced resignations, which the company has euphemistically termed a 'voluntary career transition program'.

Massive Entertainment announced its restructuring plan through an official statement on the 23rd. According to the statement, the studio has reorganized its team to maintain a continuous focus on the core technologies that underpin its games, such as The Division franchise, the Snowdrop engine, and Ubisoft Connect. Furthermore, it announced the introduction of a 'voluntary career transition program' that includes financial and career support to help affected employees seek new opportunities.

According to a report by the French media outlet Le Figaro, the 'voluntary career transition program' targets employees who are currently awaiting reassignment to new projects, with a deadline of December 15th. Although the company did not explicitly state it, this effectively amounts to a redundancy scheme that provides a certain level of compensation. It has not been disclosed how many layoffs Ubisoft hopes to achieve through this measure.

Massive Entertainment was acquired by Ubisoft from Activision Blizzard in 2008. Initially, it supported the development of the Assassin's Creed and Far Cry series before gaining industry attention by leading the development of the multiplayer shooter The Division. In addition to The Division series, it has also released titles such as Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws.

This round of layoffs comes as Ubisoft changes its management structure following its deal with Tencent. Notably, in October, the two companies launched a new subsidiary, 'Vantage Studios', which is dedicated to three of Ubisoft's flagship IPs: Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. Additionally, Ubisoft faces the significant challenge of resolving a string of lackluster new releases and chronic deficits.

Amidst this, layoffs have reached the developer of The Division, a flagship title for Ubisoft. On the same day, Ubisoft RedLynx, the Ubisoft-owned developer known for the Trials motorcycle series, also officially announced a restructuring via its website. This will result in up to 60 job losses. The industry is now watching to see what direction Ubisoft will take as it pursues aggressive cost-cutting measures.