The Ubisoft Workers of Montreal Union has initiated a petition aimed at safeguarding the hybrid work arrangement that many employees have come to rely on, and the campaign has already attracted more than three hundred signatures. The effort, which was first publicized on September 30, quickly spread across social media platforms, where the union urged every staff member at Ubisoft Montreal to add their name to the petition and encouraged allies to rally their own networks in support of the cause.
According to reporting from Game Developer, the petition was launched by the Game Workers Unite Montreal (GWU) collective as part of a broader strategy to give workers a stronger voice in decisions that affect their daily lives. The union’s messaging emphasized that signing the petition could be done during regular break periods, noting that the majority of signatures had been collected in person during these informal gatherings.
By meeting colleagues in the office cafeteria or lounge, employees could quickly add their support without disrupting their work schedules. The United Videogame Workers Union, operating under the umbrella of the CWA (UVW‑CWA), publicly endorsed the petition. In its statement, the union praised the Ubisoft Montreal workers for leading what it described as a pivotal shift in the collective struggle for dignified employment and economic justice.
The union highlighted that many of the company’s policies—particularly the recent “return‑to‑office” directive—had been rolled out without meaningful consultation with the very people most impacted by them. The UVW‑CWA pointed out that a blanket return‑to‑office mandate disproportionately affects a diverse range of workers: parents who need flexible schedules to care for children, employees with disabilities who may find remote work essential for accessibility, staff members who purchased homes far from the studio in order to enjoy a lower cost of living, expatriates who relocated internationally to keep their jobs, and creative professionals who simply thrive when they can work from home. The union argued that imposing such a policy without input amounts to a form of cost‑cutting that ignores the human cost of corporate decisions, and it called on Ubisoft’s leadership to be held accountable for the repercussions of those choices.
Ubisoft’s own stance on the matter dates back to the beginning of the year, when the company announced a restructuring plan that introduced the concept of “Creative Houses.” As part of that reorganization, Ubisoft instituted a mandatory return‑to‑office policy, requiring all staff to be present in the studio five days a week, with only a limited, pre‑approved number of work‑from‑home days allocated annually. The rationale provided by senior management centered on the belief that in‑person collaboration fuels efficiency, creativity, and overall team success in a highly competitive market. Marie‑Sophie de Waubert, Senior Vice President of Studio Operations, explained to GamesIndustry.biz that the company’s primary goal was to strengthen onsite collaboration and the collective dynamics across teams.
She emphasized that face‑to‑face interactions are “key enablers of efficiency, creativity, and collective success” and that while the hybrid model remains one tool among many, it is a particularly valued one for fostering the kind of innovative environment Ubisoft aims to maintain. De Waubert also indicated that the company would engage in discussions with its various international locations to determine the precise operational model and the flexibility that could be built into it, stressing that any adjustments would ultimately be tied to the quality of the games being produced and the creative output of the teams. Chief Financial Officer Frederick Duguet echoed a similar sentiment, stating that the company would continue dialogues with employees, their representatives, and individual teams. He framed the shift back to a more office‑centric approach as a strategic move to “boost collective performance for AAA titles,” suggesting that the financial and reputational stakes of high‑budget projects require a tightly coordinated workforce.
The tension between management’s directives and employee preferences is not new at Ubisoft. In February of the same year, the studio experienced a three‑day international strike in direct response to the restructuring and the return‑to‑office mandate. Over 1,200 workers participated in the walkout, according to Marc Rutschlé, a representative of the Solidaires Informatique union at Ubisoft Paris, who confirmed the numbers to GamesIndustry.biz.
Ubisoft later released a statement indicating that 528 staff members had formally reported themselves as being on strike, underscoring the scale of the unrest. The current petition represents a continuation of that activism, seeking to preserve the flexibility that hybrid work offers while still acknowledging the company’s desire for collaborative synergy. By gathering signatures both digitally and in person, the union hopes to demonstrate to Ubisoft’s leadership that a sizable portion of the workforce values a balanced approach—one that does not force a binary choice between full remote work and a rigid five‑day office schedule. Supporters of the petition argue that a genuine hybrid model can be structured to meet the needs of both the company and its employees.
For instance, allowing teams to schedule regular in‑person brainstorming sessions, while granting individuals the autonomy to work from home on days that are less collaborative, could maintain the creative momentum Ubisoft seeks without sacrificing the work‑life balance that many staff members consider essential. In summary, the Ubisoft Workers of Montreal Union’s petition has quickly amassed over three hundred signatures, reflecting a growing desire among employees to retain hybrid work options. The union’s appeal, bolstered by the backing of the United Videogame Workers Union, challenges Ubisoft’s top‑down return‑to‑office policy and calls for a more inclusive decision‑making process that takes into account the varied circumstances of its diverse workforce.
As discussions continue and the petition gains further visibility, the outcome may shape not only Ubisoft’s internal policies but also set a precedent for how large game development studios worldwide negotiate the future of work in an industry that increasingly values flexibility alongside collaboration.