Ubisoft plans to cut approximately 100 employees across its German studios in Düsseldorf, Berlin, and Mainz through a proposed voluntary departure plan, the company confirmed to Game File.

"We initiated discussions with the Works Council last week regarding a proposed voluntary departure plan across [the three studios]," a Ubisoft representative said. "The voluntary plan is the primary measure being proposed to support the intended organisational changes."

The figure of roughly 100 affected employees remains an estimate rather than a confirmed target. Ubisoft declined to specify how many workers the plan may touch. More than half of the reductions are expected at Düsseldorf, the largest of the three sites, according to Game File.

What did management tell staff?

Ubisoft zone managing director Benedikt Grindel sent a follow-up email after a town hall meeting. The cuts aim to "best position our German studios for the future… with a clearer focus on their role, capabilities, and organisational setup needed for the work ahead," Grindel wrote.

That framing matters for operational reasons. It signals a redefinition of each German site's mandate, not just a headcount reduction.

Düsseldorf has absorbed losses before. Last year, the studio was among those hit by 185 job cuts alongside Stockholm and Reflections, a round that also closed Ubisoft Leamington.

What does this change for affected workers?

The practical question is money. Sources told Game File that a payout formula discussed between Ubisoft and the Works Council could pay a worker's monthly salary multiplied by 1.5 and by the number of years served at the company.

Game File reported several caveats:

• The formula is still subject to Works Council negotiations.
• It has not yet formed part of an official offer to workers.
• It could be adjusted up or down.
• It could be supplemented with additional bonuses.

The Ubisoft representative confirmed nothing is settled. "The terms of a potential voluntary departure program remain subject to negotiation with employee representatives," the representative said. "No final agreement has been reached, and we won't comment on specific proposals while discussions are ongoing."

Works Councils hold real power in Germany. Any final plan requires their agreement, so the scope and payout terms can shift materially before workers see an offer.

How does this fit Ubisoft's wider restructuring?

The German cuts do not stand alone. They follow the closure of Trials developer RedLynx and recent job reductions at Ubisoft Singapore.

All of these moves belong to Ubisoft's cost-reduction initiative, which entered its "final" phase this year. As part of a broader restructuring into six "Creative Houses", the company has:

• Shut locations in Stockholm, Halifax, Winnipeg, and Belgrade.
• Cancelled six titles.
• Reduced its global workforce.

Last month, Creative House 2 was renamed Massive Entertainment. It now oversees Tom Clancy's The Division, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, and new original IP such as March of the Giants.

For German staff, the immediate signal is the Works Council negotiations. The final payout formula and the confirmed headcount at each site are the numbers worth watching as talks progress.