LogInThe union claims that around 10% of the game developers working on Just Dance 2023 suffered from burnout within the last year due to the game's challenging development process.
French union Solidaires Informatique has reportedly alleged that Ubisoft Paris mismanaged the production of Just Dance 2023 and imposed crunch on its employees.
According to the union, during the game's challenging development which included an engine change just 11 months before launch and unfulfilled promises to hire additional staff to ease the workload, approximately 10% of the developers working on the game experienced burnout within the past year.
NME conducted an investigation into the matter by gathering quotes from several Just Dance 2023 developers, who shared information via Solidaires Informatique. In addition, the outlet spoke with a Ubisoft employee who had worked on the game and agreed to discuss their experience on the condition of anonymity.
The developers who spoke through Solidaires Informatique stated that paid overtime initially started as a regulated system, however, gradually it turned into a routine practice, and "a double standard was established."
Meanwhile, the Ubisoft employee who spoke with NME directly told the outlet that the developers had to work 13-hour shifts during the development of the game, and some QA testers had to work for 14 hours or more in a single shift. They stated that during daily meetings, some colleagues were explicitly urged to work overtime. "The message was clear: 'make overtime'," they said.
Ubisoft Paris was involved in developing Just Dance 2023 and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Both games were considered commercial disappointments by the company, as they failed to meet the initial sales targets.
In January, the French publisher announced that it had revised its expectations for the last fiscal quarter due to the "major challenges" faced by the industry and the disappointing performance of its recent releases. Following this news, it was reported that Ubisoft head Yves Guillemot communicated to employees that the responsibility for the quality of the games now lies with them.
In response to Guillemot's comments, Solidaires Informatique's Ubisoft Paris division urged the company's workers to engage in a four-hour strike. The union subsequently disclosed that over 40 individuals, which constituted approximately 15% of the studio's workforce, took part in this strike and noted that it plans more strikes "at key moments in the games' production."
Solidaires Informatique's accusations of burnout at Ubisoft Paris come shortly after it became known that Ubisoft Montpellier faces a labor investigation by local government authorities due to an "unprecedented" amount of developers suffering from burnout and requiring prolonged sick leave.
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