Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced does a lot of things right, enhancing the visuals of the fourth entry in the series to new heights while introducing choice combat and parkour changes for a more engaging experience, and new content allowing players to delve deeper into Edward Kenway's story, which remains as engaging as it has always been. For some, myself included, one of the highlights of the experience is underwater exploration, which I feel is one of the best ever seen in video games to date. However, having created what's one of the best features of the game wasn't enough to save the jobs of those behind it.
As widely reported right after Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced launched last week, the Ubisoft Barcelona team was rewarded for the successful launch with 2 million copies sold with 51 layoffs. What was previously unknown is that the Spanish studio is the one responsible for the underwater segments.
"Ubisoft Barcelona did all the underwater levels. And that same team is being fired right now because Ubisoft thinks thats what we deserve," wrote Manel Cota, Tech and Gameplay Animator at Ubisoft Barcelona, on X. The developers, however, aren't taking this meekly, as they held a demonstration today to "raise awareness about the current situation, not just at Ubisoft but also across the entire industry."
The developers at Ubisoft Barcelona responsible for one of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced's best features are hardly among those within the games industry who have lost their jobs lately. After months of rumors and speculation, Xbox made its "reset" plans clear, intending to cut 3,200 jobs by July 2027.
The effects were felt immediately, as some studios, like Ninja Theory and Undead Labs, were sold, and others, like Compulsion Games and Double Fine, went independent. Others, like Obsidian, id Software and even Bethesda were hit hard, clearly indicating that even developers working on massive IPs like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout are not safe from the consequences of the disastrous management of most Western publishers.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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