Ubisoft has faced significant challenges in recent years, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in layoffs and administrative restructuring. The company’s financial performance and investor confidence have yet to fully recover. This turbulence comes as the gaming industry increasingly prioritizes innovation and responsiveness to player demands.
Alex Hutchinson, former creative director on titles including Far Cry 4 and Assassin’s Creed 3, recently discussed the current state of Ubisoft and its strategies. A key concern he raised was the substantial loss of talent and experienced personnel in recent years, as many developers have been drawn to the growing opportunities within the independent game development sector.
Hutchinson also pointed to the impact of the pandemic and the shift to remote work, suggesting that it has hindered effective oversight and accountability. He further noted a trend among newer developers to avoid questioning established processes and to struggle with learning, which he believes diminishes team momentum.
Regarding the lack of new intellectual property, Hutchinson observed that Ubisoft, historically known for both evolving its established franchises and introducing new titles, now appears to exhibit a “sensitivity” towards fresh ideas. He stated that the company has actively shut down numerous developer concepts, a situation he personally experienced while working on the Pioneer project before leaving the company in 2017, which was ultimately cancelled in 2019. “The company has killed a lot of developers’ ideas, actually,” Hutchinson said.
