Ubisoft's cancellations-and-closures announcement sparks major union backlash against CEO Yves Guillemot, and the inevitable call for a strike: 'Perhaps he needs to be reminded that it is his employees who make the games'

Ubisoft at E3 2018 (detail) — (Image credit: Christian Petersen (Getty Images))

Ubisoft announced a major overhaul of its internal structure today, which includes numerous cancellations and delays, as well as more studio closures and layoffs. And the French game industry union Solidaires Informatique isn't taking it lying down.

The union is calling for a half-day strike on January 22 over what it described as a "disastrous announcement," and announced the following demands:

An end to the cost reduction plan
Maintenance and expansion of remote work conditions
Decent pay raises for the coming year

Solidaires Informatique described this as "an initial response to the absurdity of management decisions," and said other strike actions are being considered: "It is out of the question to let a boss run rampant and destroy our working conditions. Perhaps he needs to be reminded that it is his employees who make the games."

UBISOFT - Call for strike Following the disastrous announcements made by Mr. Yves Guillemot (cost-cutting plan, projects scrapped, end of remote working, etc.), the Solidaires Informatique union is calling for a strike on Thursday, January 22, in the morning.
— @solinfonat.bsky.social (@solinfonat.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-01-21T22:35:35.360Z

The Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo union shared the message posted by Solidaires Informatique and said the Ubisoft Paris section of STJV will be joining the strike.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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