French video game company Ubisoft is looking to transition to from remote work to office work, according to an email sent to employees today. Industry insider and Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier revealed the email's content, which states that Ubisoft plans to take a "hybrid and tailored approach" to work. Ubisoft also indicates that only a "small number" of people will be able to work completely remotely.
Schreier goes on to note that he believes the decision is based on a tax credit deal between Ubisoft and the Montreal government, which would require employees to stay in the Quebec area, but Schreier didn't confirm the reason. Judging from Schreier's tweets, the email only pertains to the Montreal office location, but Ubisoft may implement similar practices for the other 55 Ubisoft offices around the world.
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The Ubisoft email states that "the office will remain a core pillar of the Ubisoft experience." It seems that Ubisoft is set on returning employees to the office, but will allow only a few people to work remotely. Although many employees will not be able to work completely remotely, Ubisoft saying it will take a hybrid approach most likely means that employees will be able to split their time between the office and remote work. Riot Games has taken a similar approach, recently announcing offices opening, with employees spending three days in person and two days either in person or at home.
The COVID-19 pandemic is the reason for remote working and office shutdowns. During the pandemic shutdowns, many video games have experienced more delays, which may be attributed to remote work, however Schreier believes remote work cannot be blamed because COVID has an effect on other variables in video game production. While transitioning employees to the office may be a way to increase productivity, some may argue that remote work has been beneficial to the video game industry.
COVID-19 has caused companies around the world to frantically change how they operate in wake of shutdowns and stay-at-home orders. Many companies have come up with clever ways to stay productive while employees are stuck at home. While video game companies still ran into many problems, the switch to development in a remote setting is giving employees more time at home and job seekers more opportunities because of lack of location restrictions. Some employees are finding out that jobs previously required to be in person are just as possible remotely. The entire English voice cast of Persona 5 recorded their lines remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ubisoft email was sent out today, but it is unclear when the office work policy will go into effect. Most likely Ubisoft will give employees time to plan for returning to the office, but many of the employees have a very busy week ahead of them. Ubisoft is gearing up for the Ubisoft Forward event on June 12, which is expected to highlight Far Cry 6, Rainbow Six, and more.
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