Ubisoft is reportedly considering a voluntary departure plan that could affect about 100 employees across its three German studios in Düsseldorf, Berlin, and Mainz.

"In Germany, we initiated discussions with the Works Council [a union-like group representing employees] last week regarding a proposed voluntary departure plan across Ubisoft Düsseldorf, Ubisoft Berlin & Ubisoft Mainz," a company representative told Game File. "The voluntary plan is the primary measure being proposed to support the intended organizational changes," they added. According to sources familiar with the matter, the Düsseldorf studio, which is the biggest of all three and counts over 400 employees, would account for more than half of these new reductions. Ubisoft has not officially confirmed how many employees will be affected. 

In an email sent after a town hall announcement, studio group managing director Benedikt Grindel reportedly said the plan is intended to "best position our German studios for the future... with a clearer focus on their role, capabilities and organizational setup needed for the work ahead."

The representative added that the terms are still being negotiated with employee representatives, that no final agreement has been reached, and that the company won't comment on specific proposals while discussions are ongoing.

Ubisoft Düsseldorf, formerly known as Blue Byte, is known for Rainbow Six Siege, Rayman Legends Retold, and Prince of Persia: The Dagger of Time. Ubisoft Mainz's latest projects include Anno 117: Pax Romana, Rainbow Six Siege, and Beyond Good and Evil 2. The Berlin studio has also contributed to Rainbow Six Siege and Rayman Legends Retold and worked on Far Cry 6 and Skull and Bones.

Last year, Ubisoft laid off 185 workers across its offices in Düsseldorf, Stockholm, and the Newcastle-upon-Tyne-based Ubisoft Reflections. Earlier this year, the company closed two studios, one in Winnipeg and one in Belgrade, with around 380 employees reportedly laid off across its studios, including Ubisoft Barcelona, Ubisoft San Francisco, and the Rainbow Six Siege team.

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