A developer has come forward, asserting that Ubisoft has retaliated against him for openly criticizing its recent mandate requiring employees to return to the office. David Michaud-Cromp, a team lead at the struggling gaming company, revealed that he has been handed a three-day unpaid suspension after voicing his discontent with this directive on social media. The reason given for this disciplinary action was an alleged violation of his duty of loyalty to the company.
Last week, Ubisoft made headlines with a surprising announcement that included the cancellation of several games—such as the highly anticipated remake of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time—alongside delays for others and plans for significant restructuring, which would result in the closure of additional studios. In conjunction with these changes, the company mandated that all 15,000 employees must return to their local Ubisoft offices five days a week. Following this news, Michaud-Cromp took to LinkedIn on January 23 to share his thoughts:
"So… Ubisoft wants to bring back 5 days in the office… because they ‘believe in collaboration.' But come on, we’re not completely naive… we know exactly why you want everyone back in the office full-time… (Spoiler alert: it’s not about efficiency or collaboration)."
Michaud-Cromp is not alone in his frustration. Numerous employees have expressed their displeasure on the company's internal forums, particularly since workers in Paris had only recently negotiated to retain two days of remote work each week.
It appears that Michaud-Cromp's comments did not resonate well with management. He later reported on LinkedIn that he was informed of his suspension, stating, "Professional update: Ubisoft communicated to me today that I am facing a three-day unpaid disciplinary suspension, effective tomorrow." He claimed this decision was linked directly to his public statements regarding the return-to-office policy, and was notably framed as an alleged breach of loyalty to the company. He added, "I’m sharing this information for the sake of transparency. I acknowledge the decision and will refrain from further comments at this time."
Ubisoft's latest strategy to combat its ongoing decline involves a restructuring effort aimed at streamlining development through the formation of what they are calling 'creative houses.' This seems to indicate a push towards consolidating the various teams scattered across the globe, likely leading to further job reductions. In their official announcement, the company stated, "To support the effective implementation and operation of this new model, the Group also intends to return to five days per week on-site for all teams, complemented by an annual allowance of working-from-home days." They justify this change by asserting, "This evolution aims to enhance collaboration, including continuous knowledge sharing and fostering collective dynamics among teams." However, many employees, including Michaud-Cromp, reacted with skepticism to these claims. One employee commented to Kotaku, expressing frustration about the lack of justification or documentation supporting the need for such a return to the office, stating, "There’s zero evidence, zero internal studies showing that RTO boosts productivity or morale—nothing."
Throughout the pandemic, when remote work became the norm, it became evident that flexible working arrangements could actually lead to increased productivity. Yet, leaders in many large corporations, possibly feeling threatened by these findings, have begun to push back against the remote work trend.
The sentiment among Ubisoft employees regarding this new return-to-office policy and the looming prospect of more layoffs is overwhelmingly negative. Reports suggest that at least five unions representing Ubisoft personnel have initiated internal discussions about organizing a three-day strike involving all employees in February.
We have reached out for comments from both Ubisoft and Michaud-Cromp to gain further insights into this unfolding situation.
