Dozens of video game developers in Sydney are being laid off after French company Ubisoft announced it would shut down a free-to-play first-person shooter game previously described as a "Call of Duty killer".
Ubisoft said this week it would discontinue development of XDefiant, which failed to amass a following after its launch in May. The game will remain playable until June.
"The decision follows a thorough review of the game's performance, profitability, and market conditions, and aligns with the company's increased selectivity in its R&D investments," Ubisoft said.
The decision means that Ubisoft's San Francisco and Osaka studios will close and its Sydney production team downsized, with nearly 300 job losses expected, including roughly 70 at its Sydney outpost in Ultimo.
Lead game systems engineer Theron Miles posted on LinkedIn that he was deeply saddened by the Sydney layoffs.
"The culture-first recruiting we followed led to the formation of the best team I've ever had the pleasure of working with," he wrote.
"Watching the team grow from one into the powerhouse it became was an absolute privilege."
It's been a tough year for Ubisoft, with Star Wars Outlaws underperforming and Assassin's Creed Shadows delayed until 2025.
