🚨 BLOODBATH IN UBISOFT?! 😱 Star Wars Outlaws DEV TEAM WIPED OUT in BRUTAL 55-JOB AXE After $300M FLOP! 💀 Second Layoff Wave of 2026 – Is Assassin’s Creed NEXT? Fans ERUPTING: “Woke Disaster FINALLY Dead!” Total CHAOS Inbound… Click to See the RAGE! 👇🔥

Ubisoft has struck again with layoffs, this time targeting its Swedish studios Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm, where approximately 55 roles are on the chopping block. The move, announced January 13, marks the French gaming giant’s second round of staff cuts in 2026 alone, as the company grapples with ongoing financial pressures and a push to streamline operations.

Massive Entertainment, best known for spearheading the Tom Clancy’s The Division series, also developed the ambitious open-world title Star Wars Outlaws, released in August 2024 to mixed reviews and disappointing sales. Ubisoft Stockholm, a support studio, contributes to engine work and unannounced projects. The layoffs follow a voluntary redundancy program launched in fall 2025 that failed to trim enough headcount, prompting this “proposed organizational restructure.”

In an internal communication, Ubisoft emphasized that the changes are “forward-looking and structural” and not tied to individual performance, recent game deliveries, or work quality. “This restructure follows the completion of the Voluntary Leave Program… which together have provided clearer visibility into the structure and capacity required to support the two studios’ work sustainably over time,” the company stated.

engadget.com

Star Wars Outlaws developer Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft …

Massive Entertainment, the studio behind Star Wars Outlaws and The Division, faces significant layoffs as Ubisoft continues its cost-cutting measures.

Star Wars Outlaws: High Hopes, Harsh Reality

Star Wars Outlaws arrived with massive hype as Ubisoft’s first open-world Star Wars game, promising scoundrel adventures in the underworld between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Powered by Massive’s Snowdrop engine—also used in The Division and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora—the title featured Kay Vess, a customizable thief navigating planets like Tatooine and new locales.

Critics gave it a Metacritic score of 76, praising its immersive Star Wars vibe but slamming launch bugs, repetitive stealth mechanics, and technical issues on PC. User scores hovered around 3.9/5 on Epic and first-party stores. Ubisoft admitted in late 2024 that sales “proved softer than expected,” delaying Assassin’s Creed Shadows to mitigate the hit.

By mid-2025, reports emerged of a sequel cancellation amid the flop, with CEO Yves Guillemot blaming “choppy waters” for the Star Wars brand—citing fan fatigue from Disney’s output—over gameplay flaws. Post-launch patches improved combat and stealth, and a Nintendo Switch 2 port launched recently, but it couldn’t reverse the tide. Steam concurrent players peaked low, and physical copies bizarrely required online checks.

The game’s struggles amplified scrutiny on Massive, already stretched from back-to-back licensed titles like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2023), another underperformer.

Ubisoft’s Cost-Cutting Onslaught

These 55 jobs are part of a multi-year purge. In 2025, Ubisoft canceled projects, laid off hundreds, and restructured under Tencent’s $1 billion+ investment into Vantage Studios for Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. Early 2026 saw Ubisoft Halifax shuttered—71 jobs lost just weeks after unionizing—framed as unrelated to labor organizing.

RedLynx faced 60 potential cuts in October 2025. Now, “Creative Houses” reorganize brands, prioritizing live-service hits over single-player risks. Ubisoft insists Massive’s Division focus remains: The Division 3, Division 2 updates, and Survivors extraction mode are safe, alongside Snowdrop and Ubisoft Connect.

Financials paint a grim picture: 2025 profits plunged 98.5% in some units, revenues expected to dip again. Tencent’s stake aims to stabilize, but investors demand efficiency amid $300 million+ losses on flops like Outlaws.

starwars.com

Star Wars Outlaws – Available Now | StarWars.com

The cover art for Star Wars Outlaws, which failed to meet sales expectations despite post-launch efforts.

Fan Fury and Industry Echoes

X erupted with schadenfreude. “Star Wars Outlaws Devs FIRED by Ubisoft! More AAA Layoffs Coming in 2026!” screamed YouTubers, racking up views. One post: “Here comes the pain… behind the massive flop Star Wars Outlaws.” Critics like MauLer called it a “disaster,” citing ugly protagonist and bugs.

Supporters lamented: “Massive drops Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar… rewarded with layoffs. Tired of this—these are people.” Game Informer noted the irony: Studios behind hits like Division now slimmed post-flops.

This fits 2026’s layoff wave: Unity, Epic, Take-Two cut thousands. High AAA costs ($200M+ per title) clash with subscriber shifts like Game Pass. Ubisoft’s mobile pivot and AI focus signal caution on bets like Outlaws.

Division’s Lifeline and Uncertain Horizon

Ubisoft vows no Division disruption: “We will continue to serve as the global home and lead for The Division franchise.” Snowdrop evolves for Far Cry, and Stockholm’s cloud-tech project persists. But whispers of broader cuts loom—Abu Dhabi, exec exits like Division EP Julian Gerighty to EA.

Analysts eye Assassin’s Creed Shadows (delayed post-Outlaws) as a make-or-break. Tencent’s influence may enforce live-service dominance, sidelining narrative risks. Employees get severance and support per Swedish law, but morale sags.

Ubisoft’s path: Trim fat, double down on proven IPs. For Massive, Outlaws’ shadow lingers, but Division could redeem. As one X user quipped: “Leave it to Ubisoft to start 2026 like 💩.”

Yet, with 20,000+ staff and billions at stake, the bloodbath may just begin. Gamers watch: Will Ubisoft rebound, or implode like once-mighty peers?