Despite Assassin's Creed Black Flag Memory Reset selling 2 million copies on its first day and surpassing 3.5 million within two weeks—far exceeding Ubisoft's annual expectations—this did not prevent the layoff of 51 employees at Ubisoft Barcelona. Among those laid off were team members responsible for developing the game's underwater levels.
Following the announcement of the layoffs, Ubisoft Barcelona employees launched a three-day strike. Ubisoft responded that the restructuring aims to reduce costs and focus resources on strategic priorities, with the Barcelona studio set to concentrate on the Rainbow Six series moving forward. The company stated that the layoff plan is currently only a proposal and no final decision will be made until collective bargaining concludes.
In the face of industry challenges, some former Ubisoft Barcelona employees have joined forces to establish their own independent studio, Dark Ritual Studios.
Dark Ritual Studios has secured full funding for its debut title, Puzzle Mage, which is scheduled for release on PC in 2027. The Steam page is now live, with over 1,000 wishlists already added.
