Ubisoft lays off 84 workers in Quebec

This Nov.3 2017 file photo shows the logo Ubisoft on a computer screen at the Paris Games Week in Paris. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Kamil Zihnioglu, File

Video game developer Ubisoft has laid off 84 people in Quebec to "streamline" its operations.

The news concerns Canadian administrative services, the Montreal-based Hybride studio and the IT team across the company's worldwide operations.

In Canada, 98 people are losing their jobs, representing 2 per cent of the Canadian workforce, Ubisoft confirmed in an email. The company stated that production teams are not affected by the decision.

In Quebec, Ubisoft has studios in Montreal, Sherbrooke, Quebec City and Saguenay. The company employs 19,000 people in 45 studios.

In October, Ubisoft announced that Montreal would become the North American hub of its activities under the direction of Christophe Derennes, general manager of Ubisoft Montreal.

In the span of a year, the number of Ubisoft employees worldwide has decreased from nearly 21,000 to just over 19,000, at a time when the company is "tightly managing expenses," said CFO Frédérick Duget, during a conference call with financial analysts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 7, 2023.