Ubisoft is a Frenchvideo game publisher headquartered inMontreuil, founded in March 1986 by the Guillemot brothers. Since its establishment, Ubisoft has become one of the largest video game publishers, and it has the largest in-house development team, with more than 20,000 employees working in over 45 studios as of May 2021.[1]
While Ubisoft set up many in-house studios itself, such asUbisoft Montreal,Ubisoft Toronto,Ubisoft Montpellier andUbisoft Paris, the company also acquired several studios, such asMassive Entertainment,Red Storm Entertainment,Reflections Interactive andFreeStyleGames. Ubisoft's studios often cooperate with each other in their projects, sharing different development duties.Assassin's Creed Unity, released in 2014, saw ten studios worldwide work together.[2]
Blue Mammoth Games, based inAtlanta, Georgia, was founded by Lincoln Hamilton and Matt Woomer in 2009.[3] In October 2012, Xaviant, another Atlanta-based developer, acquired a 50% stake in the company.[4] In November 2017, Blue Mammoth announced that a new studio, located inAmsterdam, Netherlands, would be opened to hire 25 people.[5] The studio was opened in January 2018.[6] Blue Mammoth was acquired by Ubisoft on 1 March 2018.[7] The company's primary product isBrawlhalla.[1]
Hybride Technologies inPiedmont, Quebec, is a technology company founded in 1991. Its main role is to create visual effects for films and TV shows, and had contributed to films such asJurassic World,Star Wars: The Force Awakens andSolo: A Star Wars Story. The company was acquired by Ubisoft in 2008.[1] The company has a second office co-located withUbisoft Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, which was opened in February 2016.[8]
Quazal, based inMontreal,Quebec, is asoftware developer. Founded in 1998 by Sylvain Beaudry, Martin Lavoie and Carl Dionne, the company focuses on the development ofcross-platformmultiplayer tools forvideo games, most notably, Net-Z and Rendez-Vous.[9] On 4 November 2010, it was announced that Ubisoft had acquired Quazal.[10][11][12]
Red Storm Entertainment was founded by novelistTom Clancy,managing director Steve Reid, and 17 staff members inCary, North Carolina, in 1996. The company self-published its firsttactical shooter,Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, in 1998. Ubisoft acquired the studio in 2000. After the acquisition, Red Storm continued to work on tactical shooters in theTom Clancy's franchise and developedTom Clancy's Ghost Recon in 2001, as well as its sequel,Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2, in 2004. Red Storm continues to collaborate with other Ubisoft studios on futureGhost Recon titles and was involved in the development of severalFar Cry games. In 2008, Ubisoft acquired the rights to Clancy's name for video games.[13][14] Red Storm became one of the first Ubisoft studios to developvirtual reality projects, starting with the release ofWerewolves Within in 2016 andStar Trek: Bridge Crew in 2017.[1]
Ubisoft Consumer Relationship Center manages Customer Support and Community Management for North, Central & South American territories and is located in Cary, North Carolina, sharing office space withRed Storm Entertainment.[15]
Ubisoft Halifax (formerly Longtail Studios Halifax) is based inHalifax, Nova Scotia, and best known for co-developing theRocksmith series.[16] The company was founded in 2009 as a studio ofNew York City-based Longtail Studios, itself founded in 2003 by Ubisoft co-founder Gérard Guillemot.[17] In July 2009, Longtail Studios offered the 23 employees at itsCharlottetown,Prince Edward Island (PEI), studio the ability to relocate to their new Halifax studio.[18] The move was met by PEI's Minister of Innovation,Allan Campbell, offering Longtail Studios subsidies and tax breaks to retain the jobs in PEI.[19]
In August 2013, Longtail Studios Halifax joined theEntertainment Software Association of Canada.[17] At this time, the studio had 45 employees.[17] On 13 October 2015, Ubisoft acquired Longtail Studios Halifax, then covering over 30 employees, wherein the company was renamed Ubisoft Halifax.[20] Another 10 positions were immediately opened for hiring.[21] Through the acquisition, Ubisoft planned to expand its mobile game business in Canada.[22] Ubisoft Halifax has more than 70 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Montreal is Ubisoft's largest in-house development studio, as well as the largest development studio worldwide with more than 4,000 employees.[1] Founded in 1997 inMontreal, Quebec, the studio started with only 50 employees. 25 of these came from Ubisoft's headquarters in France, while the rest were new recruits. Yannis Mallat is the company's studio head. While the company originally focused their work on licensed family-friendly titles, the team achieved breakthrough success through the release of two new titles:Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time andTom Clancy's Splinter Cell.[23]
Following this success, they shifted their focus onto developingAAA titles. The company developedFar Cry 2 and the subsequentFar Cry sequels, became involved in theTom Clancy's Rainbow Six series sinceVegas and has become the lead developer of Ubisoft's most successful franchise,Assassin's Creed, since the franchise's inception. The studio was also involved in creating newintellectual properties, such asFor Honor,Watch Dogs andHyper Scape.[1] Ubisoft Montreal has more than 4,000 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Quebec was founded by Ubisoft in 2005 inQuebec City, Quebec. The studio was set out to provide assistance to Ubisoft's main studios, and it also participated in the development ofdownloadable content for theAssassin's Creed series, such asTyranny of King Washington forAssassin's Creed III, andFreedom Cry forAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.[24] On 3 November 2010, Ubisoft announced that it had acquired Longtail Studios Quebec, a studio ofNew York City-based Longtail Studios, itself founded in 2003 by Ubisoft co-founder Gérard Guillemot.[17][25] As a result, 48 of the studio's staff were moved to Ubisoft's existingUbisoft Quebec operations. The division's director, Andreas Mollman, resigned, and 5–6 employees were laid off.[26][27]
The Quebec studio worked onMarvel Avengers: Battle for Earth, aKinect title released in 2012,[28] and became the lead developer forAssassin's Creed Syndicate in 2015, replacing the Montreal studio. It would be the first time the Quebec studio changed its role from a support studio to a lead developer of a AAA game. The studio has more than 500 employees.[1] The company also served as the lead developer forAssassin's Creed Odyssey (2018), andImmortals Fenyx Rising (2020).[29] Ubisoft Quebec has more than 500 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Saguenay, inChicoutimi, Quebec, was announced in September 2017 and opened in February 2018 with 20 employees led by Jimmy Boulianne.[1] The studio will be used to support online and connectivity components for Ubisoft's games.[30] Ubisoft Saguenay has 75 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Sherbrooke was founded in November 2021 inSherbrooke, Quebec. The studio will co-develop Ubisoft’s main franchises.[31] In September 2022, it was announced that Ubisoft Sherbrooke will co-develop new installments of theAssassin's Creed franchise.[32]
Ubisoft Toronto was founded by Ubisoft in May 2010 inToronto, Ontario.[33] The studio opening can be credited to the success of the Montreal studio, which encouraged Ubisoft to continue its expansion in Canada.[34] The team at Toronto are mostly employees from the Montreal studio who had worked onTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction.[35] The studio then took the lead role in developingTom Clancy's Splinter Cell game, as the then studio headJade Raymond thought that it is Ubisoft's most iconic franchise and can help the studio to expand and recruit. Their debut game,Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, received critical acclaim upon release.[36]
The studio continued to contribute to other Ubisoft's project, includingFar Cry 4 andAssassin's Creed Unity.[37] Raymond departed the studio and formedMotive Studios in 2015.[38]Clint Hocking, the director ofFar Cry 2, worked in the Toronto studio.[39] The studio also served as the lead developer forStarlink: Battle for Atlas, atoys-to-life game,[1] andWatch Dogs: Legion, which was directed by Hocking.[40] It also replaced the Montreal studio as the lead developer forFar Cry 6.[41]
On 6 April 2018, Ubisoft announced it would investCA$35 million in Canada's Manitoba province to create 100 jobs within five years, establishing a studio located inWinnipeg. Darryl Long will serve as the studio'smanaging director.[42] Ubisoft Winnipeg will work on Ubisoft'sopen world franchises.[1]
1492 Studio was founded inVailhauquès, France, in 2014 by Claire and Thibaud Zamora, and acquired by Ubisoft in February 2018. The studio developedIs it Love?, a free-to-play episodic mobile game.[1]
Ubisoft acquired a 70% stake in Green Panda Games in July 2019, with an option to fully acquire the company. Green Panda Games, founded in 2013 and based in Paris, is a developer and publisher of over 50 mobile casual games.[43] Green Panda Games has 120 employees as of May 2021.[1]
It was announced in November 2018 that Ubisoft would be acquiring Dutch server hosting company i3D.net. The acquisition closed before the end of the 2018-19 fiscal year.[44]
Ubisoft Ivory Tower was founded in Lyon, France, in September 2007 by Ahmed Boukhelifa, Stéphane Beley and Emmanuel Oualid.[45][46] All three founders were previously employed byEden Games.[45] Ubisoft Ivory Tower's first game,The Crew, was announced through Ubisoft, acting as its publisher, in June 2013,[47] and released forMicrosoft Windows,PlayStation 4,Xbox 360 andXbox One in December 2014.[48] On 5 October 2015, asThe Crew reached 3 million players, Ubisoft announced that they had acquired Ivory Tower for an undisclosed sum.[49] At the time, the studio housed 100 employees.[50] Ivory Tower's second game,The Crew 2, was announced by Ubisoft in June 2017,[51] and released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One in June 2018.[52]
Ketchapp was founded in 2014 inParis, France, by brothers Michel and Antoine Morcos, specialising in publishing games for themobile games market. The company was acquired by Ubisoft in 2016.[1][53]
Kolibri Games, founded in 2016 in Berlin, Germany, is a developer ofidle games genre and publishesIdle Miner Tycoon andIdle Factory Tycoon. Ubisoft acquired 75% of the studio in 2020.[54] Kolibri Games has 130 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Massive Entertainment was founded in 1997 inRonneby, Sweden. Formerly a subsidiary ofVivendi Universal Games, Massive has placed most of its focus on developingreal-time strategy games likeGround Control andWorld in Conflict. It was acquired by Ubisoft in March 2008.[55] Following the acquisition, Massive Entertainment worked onUplay, Ubisoft's digital distribution platform, and developedJust Dance Now.[1] The company also developed theSnowdrop engine, and used it inTom Clancy's The Division and its sequel,The Division 2, as well as developing video games based on theAvatar film series, which ended up beingAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora andStar Wars franchise; which ended up beingStar Wars Outlaws.[1][56][57]
Ubisoft Nadeo was founded in 2000 inParis, France, by Florent Castelnérac. Ubisoft announced the acquisition of Nadeo on 5 October 2009.[58][59] Anne Blondel-Jouin served as the company's publishing director between 2011 and 2013.[60] and gained success with the racing game franchiseTrackMania. The team focused on allowing players to createuser-generated content and developed a network called ManiaPlanet. All games developed by Ubisoft Nadeo since Ubisoft's acquisition in 2009 were racing games, except forShootMania Storm, afirst-person shooter. Ubisoft Nadeo's latest title isTrackmania, the free-to-play remake ofTrackMania Nations.
Owlient is a video game studio founded in 2005 in Paris, France. The company focuses on creatingfree-to-play titles, with their most successful game beingHowrse. Owlient was acquired by Ubisoft in 2011.[1][61]
Ubisoft RedLynx was founded in 2000 inHelsinki, Finland, by brothers Atte and Antti Ilvessuo[62] and focuses on creatingracing games with theTrials series. While the studio was developingTrials Evolution, it was acquired by Ubisoft in November 2011.[1][63] Following Ubisoft's acquisition, the company continued to work on newTrials instalments withTrials Fusion in 2014,Trials of the Blood Dragon in 2016, andTrials Rising in 2019; outside of theTrials franchise, they also developedSouth Park: Phone Destroyer.[64] Ubisoft RedLynx has more than 150 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Annecy was established in 1996 inAnnecy, France, and their first game wasRayman Revolution forPlayStation 2. Annecy developed the multiplayer portion of many Ubisoft games, including theTom Clancy's Splinter Cell series and theAssassin's Creed series. Their first title as a lead developer wasSteep, anopen worldwinter sports game released in late 2016.[1] The studio was previously known as Ubisoft Simulations.[65][66] The studio also collaborated with Massive Entertainment and worked onTom Clancy's The Division 2.[1] The studio's latest game isRiders Republic, which was released on 28 October 2021.[67][68]
Ubisoft Barcelona was founded in 1998 and is based inBarcelona, Spain. The team's early focus laid onracing games, until their focus shifted to develop casual games such asYour Shape forWii. The Barcelona studio also served as a support studio, working on titles such asTom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege andRayman Raving Rabbids. The studio also worked withRed Storm Entertainment onStar Trek: Bridge Crew.[1]
Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile, based inBarcelona, Spain, was formed as Microjocs Mobile in 2002,[69] and became part ofDigital Chocolate in August 2007.[70] The studio was sold to Ubisoft in September 2013 and subsequently renamed Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile.[71][72] Productions by Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile includeGalaxy Life andMight & Magic: Elemental Guardians.[1] Ubisoft Barcelona Mobile has more than 70 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Founded in November 2016,[73] Ubisoft Belgrade inBelgrade, Serbia, has worked onTom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands,Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint,Steep: Road to the Olympics andThe Crew 2. The studio develops post-launch content forWildlands andBreakpoint.[1]
Ubisoft Blue Byte was founded inDüsseldorf, Germany, in 1988.[1] The company found early success withstrategy titles, such asThe Settlers andBattle Isle. Blue Byte was acquired by Ubisoft in 2001.[74] Ubisoft Blue Byte's main Düsseldorf studio, Ubisoft Düsseldorf, has 470 employees as of January 2023, making it the largest in Germany.[75]
Ubisoft Berlin was opened in early 2018 inBerlin, Germany, with a focus on co-development. The company will develop on games in theFar Cry franchise.[1] In 2020, it was confirmed that the company is also working onSkull & Bones.[76] The studio has 140 employees as of January 2023.[75]
Ubisoft Mainz was established as Related Designs by Thomas Pottkämper, Burkhard Ratheiser, Thomas Stein, and Jens Vielhaben in 1995, then based in Pottkämper's parents' house in Mainz'Nackenheim district.[77] On 11 April 2007, Ubisoft acquired a 30% stake in Related Designs, alongside the rights to the Related Designs-developedAnno series.[78][79] In May 2008, they had 50 employees.[80] On 11 April 2013, Ubisoft acquired the remaining 70% and took total control over Related Designs.[81] From that point on, the company would develop projects in tandem with another German Ubisoft studio,Blue Byte.[82] Related Designs was assigned the Blue Byte name in June 2014.[83] The studio was rebranded Ubisoft Mainz in August 2019.[84] The studio has 170 employees as of January 2023.[75]
Ubisoft Bordeaux was founded in September 2017 inBordeaux, France.[1] It serves as a support studio and collaborates with the Annecy, Paris and Montpellier studios on their future titles. The studio is headed by Julien Mayeux.[85] Ubisoft Bordeaux has more than 300 employees as of May 2021.[1] It served as the lead developer forAssassin's Creed Mirage (2023).
Ubisoft Bucharest inBucharest, Romania, was founded by six members in 1992 as Ubisoft's first in-house studio that was based outside France. They developed games in theChessmaster,Silent Hunter, andH.A.W.X series. It also supported other studios on the development ofAssassin's Creed's multiplayer,Assassin's Creed Rogue,Just Dance, andTom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.[1] A separate team inCraiova was established in September 2008 with 12 employees.[86] In December 2008, 126 employees were added to the two studios (75 in Bucharest and 51 in Craiova), with the total staff count reaching around 770.[87]
Ubisoft Consumer Relationship Center manages Customer Support and Community Management for Europe, Middle East & Asian territories and is located inNewcastle upon Tyne, England.[88]
Ubisoft Kyiv was founded in 2008 inKyiv, Ukraine, originally as Ubisoft Kiev. The studio's focus is to port Ubisoft games topersonal computers (PCs), and the studio has also worked on titles such asTom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier andWatch Dogs 2. Ubisoft Kyiv partnered withMassive Entertainment onUplay and frequently worked withRedLynx onTrials games. In 2016, the studio launched a quality control department for PC ports. Recently, Ubisoft Kyiv has worked closely withUbisoft Quebec onAssassin's Creed Odyssey's PC version, and withRedLynx onTrials Rising.[1] In December 2019, Ubisoft Kiev was rebranded as Ubisoft Kyiv to adopt the Ukrainian spelling of the city's name.[89]
Ubisoft Milan was founded in 1998 inMilan, Italy. The studio's initial focus was to develop handheld titles, and it broughtRayman toGame Boy Color andLara Croft Tomb Raider: The Prophecy toGame Boy Advance. The Milan studio also served as a support studio for Ubisoft, assisting other studios on many games, such asBeyond Good & Evil,Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear,Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword,Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow,Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory,Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent,Assassin's Creed III: Liberation,Assassin's Creed Rogue,Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, andTom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands, and is a core developer of theJust Dance series. The studio's focus then shifted to develop games that requiremotion control, includingMotionSports (with the Barcelona studio),We Dare, andRaving Rabbids: Alive and Kicking (with the Paris studio).[1] The studio was the lead developer of the company's firstNintendo Switch exclusive game,Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, together with Ubisoft Paris;[90] it also developedDonkey Kong Adventure, thedownloadable content for that game,[1] and the sequelMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.[91]
Ubisoft Montpellier, formerly Ubi Pictures, was founded in 1994 as one of Ubisoft's graphics departments inCastelnau-le-Lez, France. The studio has released several successful games underMichel Ancel's direction, includingRayman andBeyond Good & Evil. The company also worked on several licensed titles, includingThe Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn andPeter Jackson's King Kong, and collaborated withEric Chahi onFrom Dust.[92] The studio also developed theUbiArt Framework engine, used in titles likeRayman Origins,Rayman Legends andValiant Hearts: The Great War.[93] The company releasedPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown in 2024 and is currently working onBeyond Good and Evil 2.[1]
Ubisoft Odesa was founded inOdesa, Ukraine, in March 2018. As the second studio in Ukraine, it will work alongsideUbisoft Kyiv on games such as theTom Clancy's Ghost Recon series andTrials Rising.[94]
Ubisoft Paris was founded in 1992 in Montreuil, France, and was the first in-house studio for Ubisoft. Ubisoft Paris worked on several earlyRayman games as well as one of its spin-offs,Rayman Raving Rabbids 2. It became the core developer of theTom Clancy's Ghost Recon series and theJust Dance series, one of the most successful rhythm games in the market. The studio's latest work wasMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.[1] The studio was assigned to work onWild on thePlayStation 5 forSony Interactive Entertainment in place of Michel Ancel's Wild Sheep Studio, but development was stalled due to internal conflicts and unsatisfactory performance.[95] Ubisoft Paris has more than 700 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Paris Mobile was created in 2013 and is co-located with Ubisoft Paris in Montreuil, France. The studio worked on the mobile gameAssassin's Creed: Pirates.[1]
Ubisoft Reflections was founded in 1984 inNewcastle upon Tyne, England. The company has developed several successful franchises, includingDestruction Derby andDriver before Ubisoft's acquisition in July 2006. After Reflections' acquisition, the company continued to work on newDriver titles, with the latest being 2011'sDriver: San Francisco. The studio then turned to become a support team to work on other titles such asTom Clancy's The Division, worked on vehicle physics for other Ubisoft games, and experimented with smaller projects such asGrow Home.[1] The studio is managed by Lisa Opie.[96] Ubisoft Reflections worked closely withUbisoft Leamington and has more than 250 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Sofia was founded in 2006 inSofia, Bulgaria. The studio works as a co-development studio and has led the development ofAssassin's Creed III: Liberation andAssassin's Creed Rogue.[1] They developed two games in theChessmaster series:Chessmaster: The Art of Learning (DS, PSP) andChessmaster Live.[97][98][99]
Ubisoft Stockholm was founded in 2017 inStockholm, Sweden. Led by Patrick Bach, the studio collaborated with Massive Entertainment onAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora.[1][100]
Ubisoft Abu Dhabi was founded in 2011 inAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with the goal of fostering the video game industry in the country. The studio focuses on working on mobile titles, such as theCSI series, and maintainGrowtopia, a game Ubisoft acquired in 2017.[101] Ubisoft Abu Dhabi has more than 60 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Chengdu was founded in 2008 inChengdu, as Ubisoft's second studio in China. The studio also served as a support studio, working on games such asScott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game, and provided Chinese localisation services for games likeMight & Magic: Duel of Champions. Ubisoft Chengdu led the development ofMonkey King Escape, a mobile title, andcasual gamesScrabble (2013),Uno (2017) andWheel of Fortune. Ubisoft Chengdu has more than 420 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Da Nang was established in September 2019 inDa Nang, Vietnam. It will help develop mobile games and "Instant Games" for other platforms like Facebook, with plans to hire 100 developers in three years.[102] They led the development of PC and console ports ofValiant Hearts: Coming Home, theApple Arcade titleRabbids: Legends of the Multiverse as well as numerous browser games based on Ubisoft's franchises.[103][104][105]
Ubisoft Mumbai was established inMumbai in June 2018, and is the second studio in India afterUbisoft Pune. It will work alongside Ubisoft Pune as well as collaborate with local universities.[94]
Ubisoft Philippines was founded in 2016 as the first major game studio in the Philippines.[106] The studio was located on the campus ofDe La Salle University inSanta Rosa, Laguna, and develops newAAA games alongsideUbisoft Singapore.[1][107] In June 2024, Ubisoft Philippines relocated to BGC, Taguig City.[108] Ubisoft Philippines has 120 employees as of June 2024.[108]
Ubisoft Pune inPune, India, was originally part ofGameloft, a mobile game developer and publisher, until Ubisoft acquired it in 2008, at which point it had 35 members. The studio then worked on severalJust Dance titles, mobile titles, ported to other console such asNintendo Switch, and providedquality assurance tests for many Ubisoft games. The studio was working on theremake forPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time.[109] Ubisoft Pune has more than 1,200 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Ubisoft Shanghai was founded in 1996 inShanghai, and has become one of China's largest development studios. The studio has worked as the support team for many of Ubisoft's projects, such as theFar Cry franchise, working on wildlife animation andartificial intelligence.[1]
Ubisoft Singapore was formed in 2008 as Ubisoft's first in-house studio in South-East Asia, located on theFusionopolis complex inSingapore. Having served as a support studio, working on games such asPrince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands andAssassin's Creed II, the company worked on the naval combat ofAssassin's Creed III before significantly expanding it withAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag andAssassin's Creed Rogue. The company is also responsible for making the AAA multiplayer online shooting gameTom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms, released in 2014 and closed in December 2016. After the closure ofGhost Recon Phantoms, the studio's creative director, Justin Farren, came to Ubisoft's E3 2017 press conference to announce their new IP namedSkull & Bones, the development of which it would lead. The game released in February 2024, following multiple delays, to mixed reviews.[110] Ubisoft Singapore has 500 employees as of May 2021.[1]
Sunflowers Interactive Entertainment Software GmbH was founded in 1993 by Adi Boiko and Wilhelm Hamrozi, and was based inHeusenstamm, Germany.[111] The company was best known for creating and publishing theAnno series ofreal-time strategy games.[112] In December 2001, Sunflowers Interactive struck a four-year exclusivity deal with Bulgarian developerBlack Sea Studios, which resulted inKnights of Honor (2004).[113] In March 2002, the company dismantled their entire internal development studio, shifting their focus onto third-party publishing.[114] To do so, they acquired a 30% stake in Berlin-based studioSpieleentwicklungskombinat [de].[114] Sunflowers Interactive furthermore signed a contract withAspyr in August 2006, which gained them wider distribution of their games in North America.[115] Ubisoft announced on 11 April 2007 that they had acquired Sunflowers Interactive and theAnno series, of which the company would be merged into Ubisoft's own distribution arm.[78] Co-founder Boiko stated that he was satisfied with the acquisition, knowing that Ubisoft and Related Designs would be creating "something amazing".[116] However, both Boiko and Hamrozi stated that they did not want to work for Ubisoft, and planned to establish a new venture instead.[117][118]
Ubisoft Casablanca was opened in April 1998 inCasablanca, Morocco.[119][120] The studio's first production was the version ofDonald Duck: Goin' Quackers that was released forPC,Dreamcast andNintendo 64.[119] Ubisoft Casablanca assisted the development of various games for portable platforms.[120] In June 2007, Ubisoft stated that they were to expand the studio by 150 people using government incentives.[121] Between 2008 and 2010, the studio also operated a campus that sought to train 300 game development graduates.[119] Ubisoft Casablanca was shuttered on 13 June 2016, following a shift in the marketplace, and the studio's position not being compatible with Ubisoft's plans going forward.[120] The studio previously employed 48 staff members and was the oldest video game studio inNorth Africa.[119] Companies set up by former Ubisoft Casablanca employees include developers TheWallGames founded by Yassine Arif, Rym Games by Imad Kharijah and Othman El Bahraoui, and Palm Grove Software by Khalil Arafan, as well as the collective Moroccan Game Developers founded in 2011 by Arif and Osama Hussain to promote video game development in Morocco.[119]
Ubisoft Leamington, formerly FreeStyleGames, was founded inLeamington Spa, England, in 2002 by six industry veterans formerly ofCodemasters andRare. The studio worked on popular music games such asDJ Hero andSing Party while it was owned byActivision. After the commercial failure ofGuitar Hero Live, Activision sold the studio to Ubisoft, which directed the studio to work withUbisoft Reflections.[122] Ubisoft Leamington works closely withUbisoft Reflections and has more than 100 employees as of May 2021.[1]
On January 27, 2025, it was announced that Ubisoft was closing the studio, affecting 50 people.[123]
Ubisoft London (formerly known as Future Games of London, then later known as Ubisoft Future Games of London) was founded in 2009 inLondon, England. The studio releasedHungry Shark before Ubisoft's acquisition in October 2013.[124] It continued to work on new entries in theHungry Shark series throughout the following years.[1]
On September 14, 2023, it was announced that Ubisoft would close the studio, impacting 54 positions.[125] Development and management of theHungry Shark series was transferred toUbisoft Barcelona Mobile.[125]
Ubisoft Osaka, formerly known as Digital Kids, was founded inOsaka, Japan. It was acquired by Ubisoft in 2008, and has since created many handheld titles, includingPetz. The studio collaborates withUbisoft San Francisco.[1]
On December 3, 2024, it was announced that Ubisoft was closing the studio, affecting 134 people.[126]
Ubisoft San Francisco was based inSan Francisco,California.[127] It was founded in 2009 within Ubisoft's North American headquarters and was the lead developer for theRocksmith series, a music video game that allows players to use a real guitar as a controller, which was released in 2011.[128] The game was a critical and commercial success, and has since been followed by multiple sequels.[129] The studio recruited a large number of new employees in the mid-2010s, and collaborated withMatt Stone andTrey Parker to develop in 2014South Park: The Fractured but Whole, arole-playing game based on the animated television seriesSouth Park universe.[1][130] The game was released in 2017 to critical acclaim.[131][132] In 2021 it announced the first-person shooterXDefiant.[133] Ubisoft San Francisco has also provided support for several other Ubisoft titles, including games fromAssassin's Creed andFar Cry series.[134]On December 3, 2024, Ubisoft announced the studio's closure, laying off 143 people.XDefiant was also announced to be shutting down after not attracting or retaining enough players.[126]
Ubisoft Sao Paulo was located inSão Paulo, Brazil. The studio's foundation was announced on 24 June 2008 with a planned opening with 20 employees set for late July 2008, seeking to employ about 200 total staff after a four-year lifespan.[135][136][137][138][139] Early on,studio head Bertrand Chaverot stated that Ubisoft was considering to open additional studios inRio de Janeiro andFlorianópolis.[140] On 20 January 2009, it was announced that Ubisoft had acquiredPorto Alegre-basedSouthlogic Studios, which was merged into Ubisoft Sao Paulo.[141][142][143] On 29 September 2010, Ubisoft reported that, due to a declining market interest inNintendo DS games, the operations in Brazil would be re-evaluated, and that Ubisoft Sao Paulo's development facilities would be ramped down by the end of the year.[144][145]
Ubisoft Zurich began hiring for an unannouncedfree-to-play game in August 2011.[146] The company was set up by Yann Le Tensorer, who became itsmanaging director, inThalwil, a suburb ofZürich, Switzerland.[147] In an interview with Swiss magazine20 Minuten, Le Tensorer explained that Ubisoft Zurich would be developing games with a focus on online gameplay.[148] He also stated that the company was planning to initially hire 20 people, and later expand the studio as the Swiss game development scene grew, as it was the case with Ubisoft Montreal.[148] However, in October 2013, Ubisoft announced that Ubisoft Zurich would be closed by the end of that month, citing the cancellation of the studio's only in-development game as reason for the closure.[149] 16 people were laid off in the process, all of whom were offered positions in other Ubisoft studios.[149]
Wolfpack Studios Inc. was founded inRound Rock, Texas, in 1999 byJ. Todd Coleman, together with high school friend James Nance and college roommate Josef Hall.[150][151] Ubisoft announced on 1 March 2004 that they had acquired Wolfpack Studios, which at the time had between 20 and 25 employees, for an undisclosed price.[152][153] All three founders left the company after the purchase, of which Coleman and Hall later joinedKingsIsle Entertainment.[150] On 1 April 2006, Ubisoft announced that the company would be closed down on 15 May 2006.[154] Wolfpack Studios' only product wasShadowbane, which was released in March 2003.[154] Several former members of Wolfpack Studios established a successor, Stray Bullet Games, in the same offices on 1 June 2006.[154]
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