![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/70c8fc80.png\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Jon Huffman is heartbroken over this week\u2019s announcement that Ubisoft Halifax will be closing up shop after 10 years.<\/p>\n
The lead programmer began working at the studio four years ago and, alongside colleagues, was one of the faces behind popular mobile games, like Assassin\u2019s Creed Rebellion.<\/p>\n
When staff were called into an impromptu meeting Wednesday morning to find the head of Ubisoft\u2019s mobile division waiting for them, he said they knew something big was happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody saw it coming,\u201d he told Global News one day after the meeting. \u201cIn fact, I don\u2019t know that our studio management saw it coming. They were just as devastated as we were.\u201d<\/p>\n
Huffman has become one of two spokespeople for the staff since Ubisoft broke the news.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSuddenly, you got people crying arm-in-arm. To go from the triumph of being recognized and certified as a union, to, less than four weeks later, finding out that our studio is being shut down? It\u2019s heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n Employees at Ubisoft Halifax unionized in late December, forming the company\u2019s first-ever North American union.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me share a little bit of something with you, right? We voted to form our union last year in June, if I remember correctly.\u201d Huffman said. \u201cIt was six months to the day that we got certified, and the reason it took so long is because the company was challenging the inclusion of some of our members.\u201d<\/p>\n He described going through a lengthy process of interviews and hearings, which proved stressful to the staff in question.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd suddenly, beginning of the week of December 18, we get the news that the company was dropping all of their challenges,\u201d Huffman said. \u201cSo, bing, bang, boom \u2014 votes counted. We find out we have a successful union vote \u2014 74 per cent of us came together and said \u2018yes.’\u201d<\/p>\n The employees joined CWA Canada local 30111, which represents workers at Bethesda Game Studios and the Montreal Gazette.<\/p>\n Originally, Huffman said staff viewed Ubisoft backing down as \u201cone hell of an early Christmas present.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe were, to say the least, jubilant,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n But that would all change the first week back to work after the holidays, when he said staff had the rug pulled out from under them.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you supposed to do, aside from sit there reeling?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Ubisoft said this week that the staff\u2019s decision to unionize did not influence the greater company\u2019s conclusion to close the studio, but Huffman has his doubts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe timing is questionable to say least,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In a statement made to Global News Thursday, Ubisoft PR manager Caroline Stelmach said, \u201cOver 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. Seventy-one positions will be affected.\u201d<\/p>\n Adding, \u201cWe are committed to supporting all impacted team members during this transition with resources, including comprehensive severance packages and additional career assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n In her email, Stelmach also provided context for the closure, citing the increasing competitiveness of the gaming industry, requiring the company \u201cto focus on projects with the greatest potential for success.\u201d<\/p>\n However, the Assassin\u2019s Creed franchise, which the Halifax team worked extensively on, has seen success in recent years.<\/p>\n According to Ubisoft\u2019s half-year fiscal update<\/a> for 2025-26, revenue was up heading into year\u2019s end, with the company reporting 20.3 per cent net booking gains compared to the first half of 2024-25.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a highly competitive market, Ubisoft delivered net bookings above guidance, on the back of stronger-than-expected partnerships that underscore the appeal and reach of our brands,\u201d wrote Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in the company\u2019s half-year report. \u201c(\u2026) The Assassin\u2019s Creed franchise exceeded our expectations, confirming its positive momentum and ability to engage players over time.\u201d<\/p>\n But regardless of which projects were viewed as top priority, Huffman said his team was adaptable and keen to work on anything.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were a very versatile team. We were able to pivot and tackle challenges across a variety of technologies and platforms. Most recently, we\u2019ve had a lot of people working on a PC title. We prided ourselves on our flexibility, and we enjoyed new challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n An overall snapshot of Ubisoft\u2019s revenue over the past six fiscal years shows a series of financial losses and gains, many of which may be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n While the company reported IFRS 15 sales at 2,223.8 million euros, with net bookings up 46.1 per cent<\/a> in 2020-2021, it also reported losses in 2024-25, with revenue dipping 17.5 per cent<\/a>.<\/p>\n