Ubisoft Unveils Major Overhaul to Refocus on Creativity and Efficiency
The company plans to reset its entire operations through three organizational and operational changes together with a complete overhaul of its game distribution system. The company conducts this reorganization to regain its creative abilities while improving its operational efficiency which will lead to long-term sustainable business development according to the January 21 2026 press release.
Three Pillars of the Transformation
The three main pillars of the transformation will serve as the foundation for the company's transformation process.
- The organization will establish a new operational framework which will function through five distinct Creative Houses.
- The company will implement a new operational framework which creates specific operational pathways for all upcoming three years.
- The organization will implement speedier cost-cutting programs which will help to restructure the business operations.
Companies need to pursue this strategic choice because the AAA market becomes more restrictive, the shooter game industry becomes more competitive and the production costs for new brands keep increasing. The CEO Yves Guillemot stated that the company aims to create exceptional quality games through its two main strategic areas which include Open World Adventures and GaaS-native experiences.
The New 'Creative Houses' Model
The organization establishes five Creative Houses which focus on specific game genres as its new central framework. The business units will handle all aspects of production and publishing operations which enable them to control their financial activities and brand management operations. The application of this method will help us distribute creative tasks to every division which results in quicker decision-making processes.
The five Creative Houses and their brand focuses are:
- CH1 (Vantage Studios): The studio uses its resources to expand existing game franchises which include Assassin's Creed and Far Cry and Rainbow Six.
- CH2: The studio focuses its operations on developing shooter games which feature both competitive and cooperative gameplay through The Division and Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell.
- CH3: The studio handles specific Live Service games which include For Honor and The Crew and Skull & Bones.
- CH4: The studio develops fantasy and narrative-based game worlds through its work on Anno and Prince of Persia and Beyond Good & Evil.
- CH5: The studio produces family-friendly games which contain Just Dance and Hungry Shark as its core products.
Portfolio Refocus and Game Cancellations
Ubisoft conducted an extensive review of its upcoming game content during its reset process. The company decided to end production on six games because they failed to meet the updated quality standards and project importance assessment established by the organization. The canceled projects include the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, four unannounced titles (including three new IPs), and one mobile title.
The company plans to extend development time for seven games which require additional time to achieve quality standards while it delays an unannounced title from Fiscal Year 2026 to FY2027. Ubisoft expects to reduce its permanent operational costs by €200 million during the next 24 months as part of its ongoing cost-reduction program. The company has achieved a total cost reduction of about €500 million since the beginning of the 2022-23 fiscal year.
The efforts will achieve their goals through downsizing of the organization together with implementation of strict rules for recruitment and establishment of new operational boundaries for all studios across the organization. The organization has decided to shut down both the Halifax mobile studio and the Stockholm studio while restructuring multiple other studio sites.
Ubisoft will restore its previous five-day work week requirement at all of its workplaces to improve staff cooperation according to the needs of the new operational framework.
