Ubi Montreal departures

Ubisoft's Montreal studio has seen a rash of firings and departures, reports local magazine La Presse Affaires (through GamePro). Details are somewhat confusing, but problems at the studio are blamed on a schism between French and Quebecois employees, which began when studio CEO Martin Tremblay left to work for Vivendi in California. Ubisoft had wanted to start a second studio in the city, but the move caused a "war of resources" that made work unpleasant, and might've seen as many as 1500 employees diverted to the new office if Ubisoft HQ had got its way. Tremblay's departure put the nix on that - but not before many executives, artists and producers had left too. The Montreal studio now has a new CEO, Yannis Mallat, and is focusing on reorganizing in the aftermath of its conflicts. Games produced by the studio have included Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

by MacNN Staff