Ubisoft is facing another labor dispute after employees at its Barcelona studio announced a series of strikes in response to the company’s latest round of layoffs. The industrial action comes after Ubisoft confirmed a restructuring that will eliminate 51 jobs—around 28% of the studio’s workforce—as part of broader cost-cutting measures across its global operations.
According to the Video Game Union Coordinating Committee, employees will stage six partial strikes every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon between June 30 and July 16. Rather than shutting down the studio completely, the union has opted for scheduled work stoppages while negotiations continue. The strike was first reported by Insider Gaming.
Ubisoft Barcelona employees outline five key demands
The strike is centered on more than just the recent layoffs. Employees are calling for long-term commitments aimed at improving job stability and workplace conditions.
According to the union’s published demands, workers are seeking a binding agreement that guarantees continuity for the 51 affected employees, alongside a five-year commitment preventing future collective layoffs.
The demands also include the immediate implementation of previously agreed internal promotions, restoration of the studio’s hybrid work policy allowing employees to work remotely 60% of each month, and renewed negotiations over salary improvements and employee benefits.
Together, these requests reflect broader concerns about employment security and working conditions following Ubisoft’s latest restructuring.
The Barcelona layoffs are part of a wider restructuring effort that Ubisoft announced earlier this month.
In addition to reducing staff in Barcelona, Ubisoft confirmed the closure of its Winnipeg and Belgrade studios. Altogether, approximately 380 employees across the company’s global network have been affected by the latest cost-cutting measures.
As part of the restructuring, Ubisoft Barcelona is being refocused primarily on supporting the Rainbow Six franchise instead of contributing to a broader range of development projects.
The planned strikes also follow another wave of labor action earlier this year. In February 2026, five French unions coordinated a three-day strike involving Ubisoft employees to protest workplace policies and broader organizational changes.
Remote work remains a major point of conflict
While the layoffs triggered the upcoming strike, remote work has remained a longstanding issue between Ubisoft and its Barcelona workforce.
Unions representing Barcelona employees previously challenged Ubisoft’s return-to-office policy in court in 2024. As of June 2026, no public resolution to that legal dispute has been announced.
The current strike, therefore, combines new concerns over job losses with older disagreements surrounding workplace flexibility, suggesting that tensions between management and employees have continued to build over several years.
By including work-from-home policies alongside layoff protections, employees are signaling that the dispute extends beyond staffing reductions and reflects broader concerns about Ubisoft’s workplace strategy.
Will the strike lead to broader action?
For now, the planned industrial action consists of six afternoon work stoppages spread across three weeks, allowing parts of the studio to continue operating.
Industry observers note that this approach leaves room for further escalation if negotiations fail to produce meaningful progress. Whether Ubisoft chooses to negotiate on issues such as job protection, promotions, and hybrid work policies could determine whether the dispute expands beyond the currently scheduled strike days.
At the time of writing, Ubisoft has not publicly responded to the union’s latest demands. The company continues to implement its restructuring strategy while employees prepare to begin the first strike on June 30.
