Software giant Ubisoft has made the decision to shut down its studio in Halifax, leading to the displacement of 71 employees. This move is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency and reduce expenses. The closure was attributed to the declining revenue of the video game Assassin’s Creed Rebellion, which the Halifax studio had been working on since its launch in 2018.
Earlier in December, the Halifax studio’s workforce, consisting of 60 individuals, formed the first union in North America for Ubisoft. Responding to inquiries, Ubisoft spokesperson Antoine Leduc-Labelle clarified that the restructuring process had commenced before the unionization efforts began in June 2025.
T.J. Gillis, a senior server developer with a five-year tenure at Ubisoft Halifax, disclosed that employees were informed of the studio’s closure during a meeting. Gillis highlighted the industry’s trend of studio closures as a factor that led to the decision to unionize. Following the closure, the union, CWA Canada, expressed intentions to seek explanations from Ubisoft regarding the sudden shutdown.
Gillis expressed disappointment over the closure, emphasizing the lack of employment opportunities for game developers in the region following the closure of Microsoft’s Alpha Dog studio in 2024. He lamented the loss of projects and collaborations built over the years within the gaming industry. The union aims to investigate whether the closure was influenced by the employees’ decision to unionize.