Ubisoft’s Internal Channels are a Dumpster Fire and the Talent is Running for the Exit
Ubisoft management is finally getting a front-row seat to the monster they created as internal communication channels erupt in open mutiny.
I have seen a lot of corporate meltdowns in my time, but what is happening inside Ubisoft right now is on a different level. After years of watching their stock plummet and their creative identity vanish into a puddle of "GaaS-native" sludge, the rank-and-file staff are done playing nice. The "Major Reset" announced earlier this week was supposed to project strength, but it clearly functioned as a flare gun for everyone with a LinkedIn profile. I am not surprised at all that the people actually making the games are finally shouting back at the suits who have been running the company into a brick wall.
The Slack War and the Death of "Corporate Synergy"
As reported by Tom Henderson, the internal Slack and Teams channels at Ubisoft are currently a bloodbath. We are not talking about anonymous grumbling in a breakroom. We are talking about employees openly shaming upper management on official company platforms. People are asking for change and demanding accountability. It is a rare thing to see this level of direct hostility from people who still have their keycards, but it shows just how much respect the leadership has lost.
When you spend years ignoring your developers and chasing the next "billionaire brand," you eventually run out of goodwill. The employees are telling Henderson that the latest round of cost-cutting and the restructuring into "Creative Houses" was the final straw. They are watching their colleagues get cut while the leadership doubles down on the same mistakes that got them into this mess.
Jumping Ship Before the Axe Falls
The most damning part of this leak is the impending massive exodus of talent. It is one thing to be laid off, but it is another thing entirely to have your best developers actively seeking the exit while they are still on the clock. Many have apparently decided to fast-track their contingency plans. I have seen reports that people are now publicly announcing they are looking for work on LinkedIn despite still being employed by the company. That is a level of "I don't give a fuck" that you only reach when the ship is already halfway underwater.
A Company Without a Soul
When you force people back into an office five days a week after years of remote success, you are not trying to foster collaboration. You are trying to get people to quit so you do not have to pay severance. It is a cynical, bullshit move that everyone in the industry can see through. Ubisoft is hemorrhaging its most experienced staff at the exact moment they need them to navigate this "major reset."
The developers are the heart of any studio. If the people who actually know how to build Assassin's Creed and Anno are walking out the door, those "Creative Houses" are going to be empty shells. I honestly do not see how Ubisoft recovers from this without a total change in leadership. They can rearrange the furniture all they want, but if the captains are the same people who steered them into the iceberg, the ship is still going down.
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