Ubisoft Montreal is reportedly in “turmoil” after new directive

Employees at Ubisoft Montreal are outraged at management for breaking its promise.

Ubisoft Montreal has summoned almost 4,000 of its workers to report back to work for the first time in three years. The new direction is apparently not to everyone’s satisfaction, with some staff members accusing management of betraying commitments.

As per a recent report by IGN, Ubisoft Montreal declared that staff members would be going back to work on September 11. According to the story, the studio’s intranet has been inundated with employee remarks ranging from moderate worry to outright anger since the new policy was put into place. These postings, together with the news of the return to office, drew the majority of hostile responses.

The studio behind Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Far Cry5 was reportedly in “turmoil” as a result of the new directive from management since the majority of the workers believed that management had broken its promise that “100% remote work would be possible.” Employees are allegedly required under the mandate to come back to work a minimum of two days per week.

It was a “hybrid and tailored approach to work arrangements,” according to a June 2021 announcement from Ubisoft, enabling employees to “balance in-office work with work from home.” The investigation claims that Ubisoft Montreal staff members were frequently assured they could work remotely for an extended period of time, which caused them to make important life decisions or choose jobs at the studio based on these assurances.

A company memo to employees indicated that they would be working in a “hybrid, flexible working environment” in which “100% remote work will be possible depending on various criteria, such as productivity and impact on the team, as well as the nature of the work being done.”

All of that changed in August when Ubisoft Montreal allegedly convened with team management and issued an order mandating that all workers come to the office beginning on September 11th for a minimum of two days, “no exceptions.” The only flexibility offered was an eight-week leave for employees who could “prove” they required that much time to get used to the new work schedule.

To address problems with the new mandate, Ubisoft is urging employees to voice concerns to their superiors. The management is currently making comprehensive individual accommodations and preparations in an effort to lessen the impact of the shift and the staff members’ well-being. Exemptions from the return-to-office policy, according to an internal memo, will “only be considered once all other solutions have been explored.”

In a statement to IGN, Ubisoft said, “Like many companies in entertainment and tech, we are asking our colleagues to come back to the office for key moments identified by each team.” “We are confident that the collaboration, face-to-face communication, quick iterations, and sense of community that arise more often in person will enable us to work together more effectively and nimbly and accomplish our corporate objectives.”

It continues, “The hybrid mode, which was first announced in early June, will take effect on Monday, September 11. We are supporting our colleagues during this transition and are providing them with extra time to adjust over the course of the next eight weeks or longer. Our goal is to continue delivering fantastic games, so we’re currently working to ease this shift and its impact on everyone’s well-being through thorough individual accommodations and arrangements as well as open and continuing talks.”

It is unclear how the studio’s output will be affected by this new directive. Hopefully the already troubled publisher won’t suffer any more damage as a result of this new directive. Following a string of missteps, postponements, and cancelled games, Ubisoft has been attempting to regain its previous position.