Ubisoft announced on January 7, 2026, that it would close its Halifax studio, affecting 71 positions. The announcement came 20 days after the studio’s workers were certified as a union on December 18, 2025. Ubisoft attributed the closure to company-wide restructuring and cost-cutting efforts it said predated the organizing drive; CWA Canada alleged the shutdown was intended to keep out the union. The available reporting establishes the timeline, but not which account explains the decision.
What happened, and when?
The interval between union certification and the closure announcement was short: 20 days. The sequence began months earlier, when Halifax workers announced their intention to organize with CWA Canada Local 30111.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 18, 2025 | Halifax workers announced their intention to unionize with CWA Canada Local 30111. The workers who signed the announcement said they wanted a meaningful voice in workplace decisions and a secure, supported workplace. CWA Canada’s announcement describes their stated goals. |
| July 3, 2025 | According to the union’s timeline of the organizing effort, Ubisoft challenged the proposed bargaining unit and sought dismissal of the application. |
| December 8, 2025 | The union timeline says Ubisoft withdrew its challenges to certification. |
| December 18, 2025 | The workers were certified, with 74% of eligible voters in favour, according to the union timeline. CityNews Halifax described the result as nearly 74%. |
| January 7, 2026 | Ubisoft announced the Halifax studio’s closure, affecting 71 positions, as reported by CityNews Halifax. |
| January 13, 2026 | CWA Canada announced that it had filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Labour Board, alleging the closure was meant to keep out the union. |
| April 14, 2026 | CWA Canada reported that laid-off workers had approved a settlement. The union said 61 of the studio’s 71 employees were union members. |
Why did Ubisoft say it was closing the studio?
Ubisoft’s explanation, quoted by CityNews Halifax on January 7, was that the closure formed part of company-wide restructuring and cost optimization that began before the union drive. The company said: “Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.” It described closing Halifax as part of those actions.
That is the company’s stated rationale as reported by CityNews, not independent confirmation of when or why the internal decision was made. The reviewed reporting does not include Ubisoft’s internal decision records.
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What did the union allege?
CWA Canada said the timing raised questions, sought information about the closure rationale and filed a complaint with the Nova Scotia Labour Board. The union alleged Ubisoft shut the studio “to keep out the union.” That is an allegation in a labour complaint, not a finding by the board or a court.
CWA Canada also said Ubisoft denied a connection between the union and the closure, attributing the decision to declining revenue and restructuring. This account of the company’s response comes from the union; CityNews separately reported Ubisoft’s restructuring explanation.
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In a January 7 statement, CWA Canada President Carmel Smyth said: “We will pursue every legal recourse to ensure that the rights of these workers are respected and not infringed in any way.” The statement expressed the union’s position; it did not establish the reason for the closure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the settlement?
On April 14, 2026, CWA Canada reported that laid-off Halifax workers voted overwhelmingly to approve a settlement. Its announcement said the terms, including compensation, were confidential. The available information does not establish that the agreement included an admission, a ruling on motive, or a public resolution of the union’s allegation.
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Former employee Jon Huffman told the union that the closure surprised staff and front-line managers, who were working on ongoing and new projects. His account describes the workers’ experience, but does not determine what drove Ubisoft’s decision.
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What the public record establishes—and what it does not
- Established in the cited reporting: workers were certified on December 18, 2025; Ubisoft announced the closure on January 7, 2026; 71 positions were affected; CWA Canada filed a complaint; and workers later approved a confidential settlement.
- Competing explanations: Ubisoft’s reported explanation was restructuring and cost optimization underway before organizing began. CWA Canada alleged the closure was intended to keep out the union, while also reporting that Ubisoft denied a union connection.
- Not established by the available sources: whether unionization caused the closure, whether the closure was unlawful, or what the confidential settlement required.
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