<\/p>\n
Ubisoft has announced a proposed organizational restructuring at The Division and Avatar developer Massive Entertainment, which it says could result in 55 people losing their jobs.<\/p>\n
The proposed restructure affects Massive\u2019s Malm\u00f6 and Stockholm studios and follows completion of a Voluntary Leave Program launched last year, and a finalized long-term roadmap, which Ubisoft<\/a> says \u201chas provided clearer visibility into the structure and capacity required to support the two studios\u2019 work and sustainably over time\u201d.<\/p>\n Massive\u2019s focus going forward will be The Division<\/a> franchise, including development of a third game and continued support for the second, as well as the Snowdrop engine and Ubisoft Connect.<\/p>\n The Division 3 was announced in 2023, but nothing from the game has been shown publicly. Recently, executive producer\u00a0Julian Gerighty<\/a>\u00a0claimed that The Division 3 will have\u00a0\u201cas big an impact as The Division 1.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n In addition to The Division, Massive is working on a game project focused on innovation and technology, which will be revealed at a future date.<\/p>\n In an e-mail to staff, the publisher said: \u201cThese proposed changes are forward-looking and structural, they are not related to individual performance, recent deliveries, or the quality of the work produced by the teams.<\/p>\n \u201cThe long-term direction for the studios remains unchanged, and we will continue to serve as the global home and lead for to\u202fThe Division\u202ffranchise, move forward with\u202fan unannounced innovative tech project\u202fwith a refined team setup, and play a central role in the development of\u202fSnowdrop\u202fand\u202fUbisoft Connect.<\/p>\n \u201cThe proposed restructuring will begin with a focus on individual agreements and impacted employees are being informed directly and supported with care and respect inline with local regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n The Massive restructure comes amid a turbulent period for the Assassin\u2019s Creed<\/a> publisher, which late last year\u00a0opened a new subsidiary part-owned by Tencent<\/a>, Vantage Studios, which now oversees Rainbow Six, Assassin\u2019s Creed, and Far Cry<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tencent<\/a>\u00a0holds a 25% stake in the new subsidiary and will act in an advisory role, with final creative and business decisions resting with\u00a0co-CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ubisoft claims it\u2019s shifting towards a less centralised operating model, in an attempt to give creative teams more ownership of the brands they work on.<\/p>\n