Ubisoft Barcelona lays off 51 developers as Black Flag success

Ubisoft is laying off 51 developers at its Barcelona studio, a move announced last month that is now drawing sharp criticism as it coincides with the successful launch of "Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced," a project the team helped create. The layoffs, part of broader cuts affecting offices in Winnipeg and Belgrade, have prompted a three-day strike by the Spanish union La Confederación General del Trabajo, which began on July 14, 2026.

The Barcelona team was responsible for developing all the underwater sections in the recently released remake, a feature widely praised by critics and players. "Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced" has been a commercial and critical success for Ubisoft, selling two million copies in its first day and breaking the series' concurrent player record on Steam by nearly 40,000. Despite this achievement, the studio informed the team of a collective redundancy plan.

Developers have expressed frustration and a sense of betrayal. Manel Cota, a tech and gameplay animator on the team, stated on social media that the same team that created the underwater levels is now being fired. Quality assurance lead Isabel Codina García described the day as...