Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot reportedly apologised for telling employees that “the ball was in their court” following the company’s most recent quarter’s disappointing financial results. However, senior management is said to have rejected calls for inflation-matching pay raises and a transition to a four-day week, which were highlighted in a recent union statement.
Guillemot made controversial remarks to Ubisoft employees in an email last week, writing, “I need your full energy and commitment now more than ever to get us back on track to success. I also ask that each of you be extra cautious and strategic with your spending and initiatives, so that we can be as efficient and lean as possible. The ball is now in your court to deliver this lineup on time and at the expected level of quality, and to demonstrate to everyone what we are capable of.”
Guillemot is said to have addressed his choice of words – which many interpreted as shifting blame for Ubisoft’s recent troubles onto employees – during a company-wide Q&A session earlier today, according to Kotaku, citing sources present at the meeting.
“I heard your feedback, and I’m sorry this was misconstrued,” Guillemot reportedly told staff at the start of the Q&A. “When I said “the ball is in your court,” I meant that I needed your talent and energy more than ever to deliver our lineup on time and at the expected level of quality. This is a team effort that begins with myself and the leadership team in order to create the conditions for all of us to succeed together.”
According to Kotaku, chief people officer Anika Grant rejected a recent proposal for four-day work weeks, as well as requests for pay increases in line with inflation, in the Q&A.
Both these demands were recently repeated in a call for strike action by the Ubisoft Paris chapter of workers union Solidaires Informatique, which accused Guillemot of asking “a lot from his employees, but without any compensation”. The union said it was also seeking transparency on the evolution of the local and global workforce, and a “strong commitment against disguised dismissals and a condemnation of abusive managerial policies that push employees to resign”.
According to Kotaku, no executive in today’s Q&A directly addressed the strike call.
Today’s meeting follows Ubisoft’s recent admission it is facing “major challenges”, which it blamed on the industry’s “shift towards mega-brands and long-lasting titles”. As a result of these financial pressures, the publisher has pledged “increased cautiousness in the coming years,” which has resulted in the cancellation of three unannounced projects – and yet another delay for Skull & Bones – on top of the four games it cancelled last July.
Guillemot is said to have remained vague regarding potential layoffs during today’s Q&A, telling employees, “It’s not about doing more with less, but finding ways to do things differently across the company”.