In the latest twist in Ubisoft’s ongoing saga of workplace policies and employee relations, the company finds itself facing a lawsuit from unions representing its Barcelona studio. At the heart of the dispute? Ubisoft’s controversial return-to-office (RTO) mandate, a policy that has sparked backlash across multiple global studios and now threatens to redefine how the company handles remote work.
A Policy Too Far?
The RTO policy, announced in September, demands that employees return to in-person work for three days a week. While some companies have implemented similar policies post-pandemic, Ubisoft’s approach has been met with sharp resistance. Workers argue the mandate flies in the face of promises made during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Ubisoft, like many employers, emphasized remote work as the future of the industry.
The backlash began quietly last year when Ubisoft first soft-launched the RTO initiative at its Montreal office. Employees there reportedly felt betrayed, calling the policy a reversal of earlier assurances. But what started as grumbling in the halls has now escalated into strikes, walkouts, and lawsuits.
Unions Strike Back
Leading the charge are the unions at Ubisoft Barcelona, with the support of Spain’s Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT). In October, they filed a lawsuit against Ubisoft, seeking to overturn the RTO mandate. The unions claim that management blindsided them with the policy, failing to engage in negotiations or address logistical concerns about a sudden influx of in-office workers.
“This wasn’t just a surprise; it was a calculated disregard for transparency and collaboration,” the unions said in a fiery email to GamesIndustry. They’re also pushing for a collective agreement that would give Barcelona employees the right to continue remote work.
RTO Fallout Hits Global Studios
Barcelona’s legal challenge is the first formal lawsuit over the policy, but the discontent is spreading like wildfire. In France, workers at Ubisoft’s home base have staged strikes encouraged by the French union STJV. Ubisoft Milan employees followed suit in October, arguing the RTO policy could force some of them to leave their jobs altogether.
These collective actions underscore a broader frustration with how Ubisoft has handled its workforce post-pandemic. Workers feel that remote work wasn’t just a necessity during COVID-19—it became a key part of their work-life balance and productivity.
A Legal Storm for Ubisoft
The RTO lawsuit is just one of several legal headaches Ubisoft faces this year. Earlier in November, two California players filed a class-action lawsuit against the company for delisting The Crew without warning, leaving them unable to access paid content. And in October, another lawsuit alleged Ubisoft shared user data with Meta via its account-linking system, potentially violating privacy laws.
It’s a storm of litigation that comes at a precarious time for the publisher, which has been under scrutiny for everything from workplace culture to its struggles in delivering consistent hits.
What’s Next for Ubisoft?
For now, the RTO lawsuit shines a spotlight on a growing clash between corporate mandates and worker rights in the gaming industry. Ubisoft has yet to respond to the Barcelona lawsuit, but the stakes are high. If the unions succeed, it could set a precedent not just for Ubisoft but for the gaming industry at large, where remote work has become a key issue for employees.
As Ubisoft juggles strikes, lawsuits, and disgruntled employees, the question looms: Can the gaming giant find a way to bridge the gap between corporate goals and worker needs? Or is this the beginning of a deeper divide that could reshape how studios operate in the post-pandemic world?
Stay tuned—this battle over desks and Zoom screens is far from over.