A damning report by Axios has revealed that Ubisoft has lost such a significant number of employees since its management’s high-profile fall from grace that it’s internally being referred to as “the great exodus” and “the cut artery.”
At least five of the most credited Far Cry 6 developers and twelve of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla‘s top talent have left Ubisoft. According to Axios, in the last six months alone, at least 60 mid to lower level workers have also bowed out. Two developers who spoke to the publication on condition of anonymity said that the departures have slowed down and stalled projects, prompting teams to reach out beyond their usual circles for help.
The most commonly cited reasons for the high turnover include Ubisoft’s embarrassing response to the workplace misconduct scandal, which saw perpetrators being shifted around the company and a mea culpa crafted for optics. This, along with low pay, better opportunities, and “frustration at the company’s creative direction” caused many to decide that enough is enough.
One Ubisoft veteran who resigned reportedly said that the company is an “easy target for recruiters” given the amount of ongoing issues. However, Ubisoft’s head of people ops Anika Grant believes that the situation is under control.
“Our attrition today is a few percentage points above where it typically is,” Grant told Axios in a statement. “But it’s still within industry norms.”
Apparently, former Ubisoft developers have gone on to work for companies like Epic Games and Tencent, where they are being paid a handsome salary. One programmer told Axios that they have since tripled their take-home pay.
