Update 07/01/2026, 2:15 pm ET: Ubisoft has responded to our request for a comment, sharing its official statement that was sent to the Halifax studio to inform the staff of the branch's closure. The statement reads:
"Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. As part of this, Ubisoft has made the difficult decision to close its Halifax studio. 71 positions will be affected. We are committed to supporting all impacted team members during this transition with resources, including comprehensive severance packages and additional career assistance."
Wccftech also directly asked when the decision to close the Halifax studio was made, if the closure was related to the employees' decision to unionize, and if this closure was a result of the company's restructuring due to the establishment of Vantage Studios.
A Ubisoft spokesperson said, "No, this is not related to unionization. The closure is linked to Ubisoft’s need for restructuring and cost-optimization, which began two years ago, well before the unionization process started at the studio in June 2025. Ubisoft fully respects employees’ right to unionize and has unionized teams globally."
Wccftech also inquired about whether there were more closures planned, to which the same spokesperson said, "The company will continue to evaluate business and production needs and make decisions that support long-term success."
Since the publication of the original article, CWA Canada sent its official press release and statement on the closure, saying, "the timing of Ubisoft's announcement raises many questions for which we do not yet have answers."
CWA Canada president Carmel Smyth said, "Today's news is devastating. We will pursue every legal recourse to ensure that the rights of these workers are respected and not infringed in any way."
Jon Huffman, a member of Ubisoft Halifax and a member of the union, added, "We will be looking for Ubisoft to show us that this had nothing to do with the employees joining a union. The workers, their families, the people of Nova Scotia, and all of us who love video games made in Canada deserve nothing less. We're obviously disappointed by this news and fully intend to support each other through this difficult time."
Original story:
Not even three weeks ago from the time of this writing, Ubisoft Halifax announced that it had voted for a wall-to-wall union and joined CWA Canada. Wccftech covered the announcement, as it was the latest and one of the final bits of news regarding the continued labour movement in the video game industry in 2025. Now, 20 days after Ubisoft Halifax announced its successful union vote, Ubisoft has shut down the studio, with 71 developers set to lose their jobs.
The news was first reported by VGC, which obtained an email sent to Ubisoft Halifax staff informing them of the closure, claiming the decision was made as part of Ubisoft's efforts within the last 24 months "to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs."
Shortly after the news was made public, several members of Ubisoft Halifax confirmed the news via posts on their personal LinkedIn profiles. The studio had just celebrated its 10-year anniversary after its founding in 2015.
According to the initial report, the decision to close the Halifax studio was not made as a result of the team unionizing, and the choice was made "well before" 60 of the studio's staff joined the CWA Canada in its successful union vote. At the time of this writing, there's been no official statement from Ubisoft on the shuttering, though CWA Canada has made a short statement on social media, with an official statement informed by conversations with the staff at Ubisoft Halifax to follow.
"CWA Canada is shocked and disappointed at this outrageous damaging decision by Ubisoft," CWA Canada writes in their post on Bluesky. "We are speaking with legal counsel, and we will do everything possible to fight this. We will have a full statement after we have consulted with our Ubisoft members."
Wccftech has reached out to Ubisoft for a statement and will update this article if/when we receive a response.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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