Ubisoft closing Halifax studio days after workers voted to unionize

The union overseeing workers at Ubisoft Halifax said it is “shocked and disappointed” after the video game company quietly closed the workplace on Wednesday.

The French company is responsible for hit games like Assassin’s Creed: Rebellion, designed at its studio in Halifax. Just this week, staff shared that they are members of the Game & Media Workers Guild of Canada.  

“CWA Canada is shocked and disappointed at this outrageous and damaging decision by Ubisoft,” the union said in a brief statement. “We are speaking with legal counsel, and we will do everything possible to fight this.”

In a statement to CityNews Halifax, the company said that the closure of the workplace is linked to its “need for restructuring and cost-optimization, which began two years ago, well before the unionization process started.”

“Over 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,” it reads.

This is resulting in 71 positions affected.

Nearly 74 per cent of employees in Halifax voted in favour of unionizing, which has been in the process since June 2025.

Jon Huffman, a lead programmer at the company, previously told CityNews the move was to secure jobs in the industry since it saw layoffs in a post-COVID world.

Huffman also said the company did not aggressively try to deter the union from forming.

“We weren’t looking at it in terms of (being) angry, or we’re upset about our working conditions,” he said. “Instead, we were looking at it from the angle of wanting to maintain these things, we want to protect them, we want to expand and grow them.”

In June, the company announced the 10th anniversary of the workplace, celebrating and sharing that within the decade, the team doubled in size. It also touted how the studio is involved in the community.

“Our producers and directors have spoken at schools and conferences, our staff have volunteered for everything from game jams to emergency wildfire relief, and we use every opportunity to raise money for local groups such as Out of the Cold, Youth Project, Pearleen Oliver Education Fund, and Feed Nova Scotia.”