Ubisoft’s Swedish studio, Massive Entertainment, has confirmed a new round of staff reductions as part of a company-wide restructuring initiative. The Malmö-based developer, best known for The Division series and Star Wars Outlaws, announced what it calls a “voluntary career transition program,” a phrase that has drawn attention for its wording and timing.

In a statement shared earlier this week, Massive explained that the initiative is meant to “realign the studio to strengthen our roadmap” and to “ensure focus on the core pillars of our future The Division franchise, the Snowdrop engine, and Ubisoft Connect.” While the studio emphasized that departures will be voluntary, multiple industry observers have described the program as a form of “soft layoffs,” a method that allows companies to downsize without publicly labelling it as such.

Ubisoft did not disclose how many employees will be affected, though people familiar with the studio’s operations have suggested the impact could be significant. Those eligible for the program are being offered compensation and career assistance packages, but the news has understandably stirred concern among developers still employed at the studio.

The move comes at a turbulent time for both Massive and Ubisoft. Star Wars Outlaws reportedly underperformed compared to internal projections. Despite generally positive reviews, the game’s sales failed to meet expectations following a costly development cycle. Insiders have linked the restructuring to Ubisoft’s broader effort to reduce costs and consolidate resources around its most stable and profitable series.

Internally, the mood has been described as uneasy. While the studio continues to support The Division 2 and is reportedly exploring ideas for the next mainline entry in the series, sources suggest that other projects particularly experimental or licensed ones are being reassessed or quietly shelved.

The broader context across the industry is equally sobering. 2025 has seen continued layoffs across major publishers and developers as studios adjust to post-pandemic spending habits and rising production costs. The volatility has left many creative teams uncertain about their future, even at large, established companies.

For now, Ubisoft insists the transition at Massive is part of its “ongoing evolution” and that the studio will remain an important part of its future plans. Yet the language of corporate restructuring rarely comforts those whose careers hang in the balance.

As one anonymous Massive employee put it in a forum post following the announcement: “We’ve poured years into these worlds, and now it feels like the ground is shifting beneath us again.”

Ubisoft is expected to provide more clarity in its next financial report, but for the developers at Massive, the immediate concern isn’t the next earnings call it’s what tomorrow’s workday will look like.