Ubisoft Leamington announced it has officially shut down. The studio shared the news with an update:
After many incredible years, we want to share that Ubisoft Leamington has officially closed its doors. We are beyond grateful to our talented team, whose creativity, passion, and dedication have left a lasting mark on the games we’ve created, the memories we’ve shared, and the community we’ve built in Leamington.
The closure is part of a broader effort within Ubisoft to “prioritize projects and reduce costs that ensure long-term stability.” Along with the shutdown of Ubisoft Leamington, there were layoffs at Ubisoft Düsseldorf, Ubisoft Stockholm, and Ubisoft Reflections, affecting around 185 employees across these studios.
Previously known as FreeStyleGames, Ubisoft Leamington was best known for developing the “DJ Hero” series. More recently, the studio helped support development on “Star Wars Outlaws” and other popular Ubisoft titles. The closing of these studios signifies a shift in Ubisoft’s strategy, focusing on consolidating resources to maintain the company’s long-term health in the competitive gaming industry.
Ubisoft Leamington closure impacts community
The studio announced its final day with a post on its official social media, which will soon be merged with the Ubisoft Reflections page. It also adds that anyone local to Leamington will “still see our remaining team around town, and at local industry events,” so there are still a handful of people working for Ubisoft remotely in Leamington.
However, they will no longer be based at the historic building they once all shared, where numerous talented developers have passed through in the last two decades. One hundred developers have lost their jobs with the closing of this studio, which was reportedly working on an unannounced IP before being shut down. This could potentially have been the first title that the Leamington team would have been leading development on rather than running support as it had done on Ubisoft titles since 2017.
The studio’s closure marks the end of an era for the Leamington Spa gaming community, which has seen many of its talented developers move on to other ventures or continue to contribute to the industry from new locations. Ubisoft’s official comment and further updates about the studio’s closure and the future of its projects are expected to be announced soon.
Image Credits: Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash
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