Staff at Ubisoft Barcelona, co-developers of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, have gone on strike over the company's "below reasonable standard" severance pay offer, following the announcement of up to 51 job eliminations. The strike highlights the contrast between the game's commercial success—selling 2 million copies in 24 hours—and the treatment of its developers. Employees are fighting to secure fair severance pay and potentially save some roles.
Double Fine, the acclaimed studio behind Psychonauts and recent release Kiln, has filed a union petition with the CWA, seeking recognition from Microsoft. This move reflects the growing unionization trend in the U.S. games industry. With 42 workers involved, the studio's future within Microsoft's portfolio is under scrutiny.
Double Fine, the Xbox-owned studio behind Psychonauts 2, has filed to unionize with the CWA, seeking protections amid significant strategy shifts under new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. The move includes all 42 employees and comes as Xbox undergoes sweeping changes, including alterations to Game Pass and leadership overhauls. This unionization reflects a growing trend among Xbox-owned studios.
