Ubisoft has announced layoffs at its studio in Stockholm and Massive Entertainment, another Swedish-based developer, as cost-cutting measures are set to continue at the publisher. This marks Ubisoft's second round of cuts this year, after it closed Ubisoft Halifax the week prior.
This comes via Gamesindustry.biz, which procured an internal email which said that the job losses were not to do with performance. The directions for the studios "remains unchanged," according to the email, meaning the projects that both studios are working on won't shift. It's also mentioned in the email that there's an upcoming "innovative tech project," which will be pivotal to the Snowdrop game engine, which has been used in multiple major Ubisoft titles for years.
As Ubisoft's cost-cutting sticks around and more people continue to lose their jobs, it's hard not to wonder at what point the company can turn the ship around. Here's hoping a few successful titles in its key franchises can bring the magic back, if only for the sake of the dozens of people wondering if they'll be next on the chopping block.