{"id":537851,"date":"2026-03-15T11:08:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T11:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/537851\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T11:08:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T11:08:11","slug":"co-operatives-network-planned-in-atlantic-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/537851\/","title":{"rendered":"Co-operatives network planned in Atlantic Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two months after video game company Ubisoft closed its Halifax studio<\/a>, a new group is hoping to establish a network of video game worker co-operatives in Atlantic Canada.<\/p>\n

Kai McGilligan Oliver, a freelance game designer, is the co-organizer for Game Makers 4 Co-operative Futures<\/a> (GM4CF). Originally from the United Kingdom, he moved to Nova Scotia and says he got into co-operatives as a model to address social issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took me a while to put the name together,\u201d he said. \u201cWe use the number four because we\u2019re the four provinces in the Atlantic region. That\u2019s our ambition.<\/p>\n

\u201cCo-operative Futures comes from this idea that the video game industry is not necessarily serving its workers. It\u2019s certainly serving its investors. Our group aims to bring people into awareness about co-operatives, which focus on giving a voice to every single member of the organization. That\u2019s where it can come in and make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

McGilligan Oliver noted many large video game companies have closed the doors of their studios in recent years. Last January, Ubisoft Halifax was shut down a few weeks after 61 of its 71 employees voted to join a union.<\/p>\n

Ubisoft \u2014 a Paris-based company known for big video game franchises like Assassin\u2019s Creed \u2014 previously said it was closing the studio as part of a larger two-year process to \u201cstreamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also noted that none of the employees at the Halifax studio would be moved to other teams.<\/p>\n

McGilligan Oliver said co-operatives could be an alternative to the typical video game studio business model.<\/p>\n

\u201cCo-ops invite democratic discourse,\u201d he said. \u201cNo two co-ops are the same. There\u2019s an opportunity for one co-op to go down a different purpose but be connected by the values co-ops share.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Atlantic provinces don\u2019t have as much support for video games. Part of it is for me to raise a flag that there\u2019s people interested in this. Doing game dev differently, that\u2019s like our tagline.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GameGame Makers 4 Co-operative Futures The Game Makers 4 Co-operative Futures hopes to build a network of co-operatives across Atlantic Canada. (Source: Kai McGilligan Oliver) <\/p>\n

McGilligan Oliver said the goal for GM4CF is to provide resources for people looking to start co-operatives and to host networking events. One resource he cites as helpful is \u201cIf You Don\u2019t Like the Game, Change the Rules,\u201d which is a white paper and comic that lays out the process of launching a co-operative.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dream would be to have a co-op in every province that\u2019s specifically focused on video games,\u201d he said. \u201cCo-operatives don\u2019t exist in a vacuum. What you need is a network of co-operatives and increase that resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n

On March 6, the group held a fundraiser rave at Radstorm in Halifax and raised $900 for video game co-operative development.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing interest from across the board, from managers and workers,\u201d McGilligan Oliver said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to make sure we\u2019re building the capacity for jobs for students coming out of NSCC and Dalhousie. <\/p>\n

\u201cStudents came down in three carpools from NSCC for the fundraising event. They feel like there\u2019s some action happening. They want to meet the other game devs. We\u2019re seeing this interesting intermingling of students and studios.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NSCCNSCC students NSCC students attended a fundraiser event by GM4CF in Halifax on March 6, 2026. (Source: Kai McGilligan Oliver) <\/p>\n

McGilligan Oliver noted not everyone could be in a financial position to start a co-operative, but he\u2019s hoping to spark a conversation and interest in the video game community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started this because I saw there was a gap and a need, and suddenly it was given rocket fuel because of the Ubisoft closure,\u201d he said. \u201cWe already have the community that\u2019s curious. We want to get people together. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people, I hope, will see the benefit of the co-op model.\u201d<\/p>\n