Ubisoft Shuts Down Halifax Studio, “Assassin’s Creed Rebellion” Goes into Deep Freeze

Ubisoft recently announced the closure of its mobile game-specialized studio in Halifax, Canada. This means that its last remaining mobile-first Assassin’s Creed game, Assassin’s Creed Rebellion, will cease to receive any further updates or operational support.

According to reports from gamesindustry.biz and VGC, 71 employees at Ubisoft Halifax are facing job losses. The reports also confirm that development and live operations for Assassin’s Creed Rebellion will officially end.

The studio was previously one of the teams involved in developing Rainbow Six Mobile (scheduled for release next month). Notably, just earlier this week, the studio announced that its employees had successfully unionized.

A Ubisoft spokesperson stated to the media: “Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken a series of company-wide actions aimed at streamlining operations, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs. As part of this process, the company made the difficult decision to close the Halifax studio. A total of 71 positions will be affected. We are committed to supporting all impacted team members during this transition, including comprehensive severance packages and additional career assistance.”

The union that Ubisoft Halifax employees recently joined — the Communications Workers of America Canada — later told Game Developer that it would assist affected employees in safeguarding their legal rights during the layoff process. Union President Carmel Smyth said: “Today’s news is devastating. We will explore all legal avenues to ensure these workers’ rights are respected and not infringed in any way.”

Ubisoft Halifax was Ubisoft’s first studio in Canada focused on mobile games. It had previously taken over the live operations and event updates for Assassin’s Creed Rebellion from the game’s original developer, Behaviour Interactive, and recently celebrated its tenth anniversary.

Layoff Turmoil and Union Background

This closure decision comes just weeks after 61 out of the studio’s 71 employees voted to unionize. This union is affiliated with the Game & Media Workers Guild of Canada, part of the Communications Workers of America Canada, and is the first union established at Ubisoft in North America. The union was formally certified six months after employees announced their intent to unionize, with 74% of eligible employees (including producers, programmers, designers, artists, researchers, and testers) voting in favor.

Ubisoft claims that the closure of the Halifax studio is unrelated to the unionization effort. Instead, it states the move is part of its broader restructuring and cost-cutting plan, also citing declining revenue from Assassin’s Creed Rebellion. The game will gradually cease operations as part of this decision. In recent years, due to a series of disappointing releases and falling revenues, Ubisoft has implemented several major cuts, including multiple rounds of layoffs, studio closures, and project cancellations. Last year, Ubisoft also sought external assistance, partnering with Tencent to establish a new business entity to co-manage the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six series.

Studio History and Past Context

Ubisoft Halifax Studio was formerly the Halifax branch of Longtail Studios. Longtail was founded by Ubisoft co-founder Gérard Guillemot in New York in 2003, with branches later added in Quebec and Halifax. It was known for developing the Rocksmith series and various early mobile and Nintendo DS games. In 2015, Ubisoft acquired Longtail and renamed it Ubisoft Halifax, leading the development of mobile games such as Assassin’s Creed Rebellion and Rainbow Six Mobile.

Previously, the Longtail Quebec studio had initiated a unionization drive in 2008-2009, which is believed to have failed due to overt resistance from management (including mass layoffs attributed to economic conditions). Both the Halifax and Quebec branches were ultimately integrated into Ubisoft in subsequent years.