Ubisoft is planning to close its Ubisoft London offices in future, with more than 50 staff expected to be laid off as the company’s mobile game development transitions to Ubisoft Barcelona. The planned layoffs were revealed by VGC, which confirmed the move was part of cost-cutting and efficiency measures taking place at Ubisoft globally.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency, streamline operations, and reduce costs, we are proposing the consolidation of the ongoing management of the Hungry Shark franchise at our Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile studio, which already oversees a portion of it,” Ubisoft told VGC.
“We are sincerely grateful to our colleagues in London for all their passionate contributions to making the franchise what it is today, and we are committed to supporting them throughout the process with the utmost consideration.”
Per Ubisoft, around 54 positions are expected to be impacted, with staff now seeking alternative work. In their stead, Ubisoft Barcelona will continue to work on Ubisoft London’s most notable franchises, including the Hungry Shark series of mobile games, which have reportedly been downloaded over 1 billion times.
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As of writing, it does not appear the closure has taken place – but it continues to advance in the planning stages, likely as staff at Ubisoft London prepare to hand over their work.
Notably, Ubisoft London had been in successful operation for more than a decade, prior to this decision. It began life as Future Games of London, before being acquired by Ubisoft in 2013. Now, exactly a decade on from this acquisition, Future Games is facing imminent shuttering.
While the studio’s legacy on Hungry Shark will be upheld by their companion mobile games team in Barcelona, the job losses emanating from this planned change will be significant. Our thoughts are with those at Ubisoft London impacted by the studio’s closure.
