Ubisoft's Massive Entertainment Staff Asked to 'Opt In' to Layoffs

Ubisoft has told staff at Massive Entertainment—the Malmö team behind The Division, Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora—that they can volunteer to leave. The studio calls it a “voluntary career transition programme”, with financial and career support, while it doubles down on The Division and its Snowdrop tech stack. It’s the latest sign of restructuring at Ubisoft and follows a separate proposal that could cut up to 60 roles at Ubisoft RedLynx in Finland.

What Ubisoft actually announced

Massive’s public statement says teams and resources are being realigned to strengthen the roadmap, with a focus on The Division plus core technologies such as Snowdrop and Ubisoft Connect. The programme offers eligible employees a package to exit “on their own terms.”

• Official language avoids the word “layoffs”, but the intent is workforce reduction.
• The Division 2, The Division 2: Survivors, The Division Resurgence and The Division 3 are cited as ongoing.
• No headcount numbers were given.

Massive posted the statement on 22 October 2025 (CET) on X, and VGC published coverage on 23 October 2025. The message is clear: fewer people, narrower focus, live projects continue.

While the phrasing is softer than “redundancies”, this is functionally a buyout round. It maps to standard voluntary redundancy schemes used to trim teams ahead of, or instead of, compulsory layoffs. The studio signalling commitment to The Division suggests any roles outside that roadmap—or not mapped to Snowdrop—are most at risk.

How the “voluntary” bit works

Some outlets report a fixed application window and targeted groups.

• Application window reportedly runs until 13 December 2025 for Massive’s Malmö office.
• Packages include financial and career assistance.
• Ubisoft hasn’t disclosed how many roles it expects to lose.

The dates matter for staff planning visas, housing and new roles—especially in Sweden’s competitive dev scene. Without hard targets, uncertainty remains high inside the studio.

Voluntary schemes often prioritise staff in teams with fewer near-term deliverables or whose projects are being wound down. That said, Ubisoft insists active Division work “continues with strength” — so key live-service roles may be shielded, with support, central services or non-Division teams feeling the squeeze first.

Wider Ubisoft context this week

This wasn’t an isolated move. Another Ubisoft team announced potential cuts within hours.

• Ubisoft RedLynx (Trials) entered “collective negotiations” in Finland, proposing up to 60 job reductions as it pivots to “small screens.”
• Talks are scheduled through late October into November under Finnish labour rules.

That’s a second data point showing Ubisoft centralising around a tighter set of priorities, and pushing mobile-leaning work where it makes sense.

For players in the UAE, the immediate impact is minimal. But for Ubisoft’s roadmap, it signals fewer bets and more attention on brands that retain steady audiences—and tech that can be shared across them. The Division’s live modes and Snowdrop’s cross-project use make them safe harbours right now.

What it means for The Division and recent Massive titles

Massive says The Division remains a priority, listing four active projects.

• The Division 2 support continues.
• The Division 2: Survivors extraction-style mode is still in development.
• The Division Resurgence (mobile) remains in the pipeline.
• The Division 3 is on the long-term docket.

Recent premium projects—Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora—were delivered by Massive on Snowdrop. Post-launch, Avatar is still getting sizeable updates, including a free third-person camera and New Game+. That suggests the engine team remains critical, even if the studio narrows around Division-first content.

What did Massive actually confirm?

A voluntary buyout programme with financial/career assistance, tied to a refocus on The Division and shared tech (Snowdrop, Ubisoft Connect). No headcount given.

Is this different from a standard layoff?

Functionally, it’s a layoff via voluntary redundancy/buyout. The key difference is that staff choose to apply, often with sweeter terms. If too few apply, companies may still do compulsory cuts.

Will The Division 2 and Survivors mode be affected?

Massive says Division projects “continue with strength.” Survivors mode is still in development. Expect cadence adjustments rather than cancellations.