Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot and top management are under fire, following the company’s widespread restructuring.
Ubisoft is facing mounting internal pressure following its sweeping restructuring efforts, with union representatives now calling for long-time CEO Yves Guillemot to step down.
In a conversation with Game Developer, Marc Rutschlé and Chakib Mataoui–both union representatives from Solidaires Informatique and workers at Ubisoft Paris–shared details of the dire situation inside the company and outlined their proposed solution: a complete reset of Ubisoft’s leadership.
“I think Guillemot should step away at this point,” Rutschlé said. “The level of anger people feel toward him means he should move on. Then, we could start rebuilding some form of trust.”
Ubisoft unions call for management reset
Two weeks ago, Ubisoft announced a colossal restructuring that resulted in studio closures, layoffs, project cancellations and delays, as well as a return-to-office (RTO) mandate that has struck a particular nerve among employees.
“Most employees were very, very panicked by the RTO announcement,” Mataoui explained. “Many built their lives far away from Paris and their studios–and now they’re being asked to return, knowing their salaries don’t support living in the Paris area.”
The new policy requires employees to work in the office five days a week, marking a sharp shift away from the company’s previously remote-centric work model. Union representatives also highlighted deep flaws within the company, including alleged practices of nepotism and favouritism that they say have stifled creativity in an industry that depends on it.
“If you only put your white male friends in these roles, you don’t promote diversity or bring in new opinions or ideas,” Mataoui said. “We work in a creative field. We need new ideas to make great games–but we don’t have that. We don’t have that creative mindset.”
The representatives further noted that trust between employees and management has been eroding for years, particularly following widespread reports of sexual misconduct in 2020 and Ubisoft’s controversial move into the NFT market in 2022. This latest restructuring appears to be the final straw, triggering significant backlash and potentially paving the way for a major overhaul of Ubisoft’s top leadership.
According to Mataoui, “The only way Ubisoft can now course-correct is to remove the entire board of directors and recruit fresh minds who are willing to lead with integrity and accountability.” This includes CEO Yves Guillemot, who is the co-founder of the company, and the top-most person in charge since its inception in 1986.
Backlash has also extended beyond the company, with members of the gaming community criticising Ubisoft for jeopardising the trust of its fans and customers. This coincided with the company’s largest intraday share price decline, which ensued after.
In response, Ubisoft unions across the globe have organised a three-day walkout scheduled for February 13 to 15, protesting the company’s cost-cutting measures and the enforced return-to-office mandate.
