Ubisoft opening a pair of new development studios

With a decent portion of the videogame industry seemingly falling on hard times, it’s always encouraging to hear that some companies are actually looking to expand. In this case, it’s Ubisoft, which has announced that they are opening a pair of new development studios: Ubisoft Bordeaux, in France and Ubisoft Berlin in Germany (formerly Blue Byte).

Apparently both studios will be occupied with creating AAA content in a number of Ubi’s well-known franchises.

See the press release below.  And if any readers/game developers are in the general vicinity, it looks like they are starting the hiring process right now.

Today, Ubisoft announced that it will increase its creative capacities in Europe with the upcoming openings of Ubisoft Bordeaux and Ubisoft Berlin. The two studios will assist in developing new AAA games for some of Ubisoft?s biggest franchises, and expect to add at least 100 new talents combined to Ubisoft?s creative workforce in their first year of operation.

The new studios demonstrate Ubisoft?s commitment to developing enriching, immersive game worlds and world-class entertainment franchises. They will plug into Ubisoft?s cross-studio collaboration approach, in which Ubisoft studios from across the globe work together on AAA game development, with each studio providing distinct contributions based on their areas of expertise. With four established studios in France and two in Germany, Ubisoft already has a strong presence in the two countries? video game ecosystems. By opening these two new studios, Ubisoft is creating additional opportunities for local talent and adding to the expertise of its respective local teams.

?We pride ourselves on attracting and retaining the best creative talent around the world, and on establishing video games as a viable career option and economic contributor in new locales,? said Christine Burgess-Qu?mard, Executive Director of Ubisoft?s worldwide studios. ?Opening new studios in both France and Germany enables us to offer more opportunities to skilled graduates and industry veterans in those regions, who in turn will help our highly-skilled teams in development of some of our biggest franchises.?

France was the location of Ubisoft?s first internal development studio, Ubisoft Paris, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The new Bordeaux studio will report to Xavier Poix, Managing Director of Ubisoft?s French studios, and will be managed locally by Studio Manager Julien Mayeux. The Bordeaux team will collaborate on the development of some of the biggest video game franchises to have originated in France, including Just Dance, Steep, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands. Joining the network of studios in Annecy, Lyon, Montpellier, and Paris, Ubisoft Bordeaux will further strengthen Ubisoft?s presence in France, particularly in the South West. Just two hours from Paris via high-speed train, Bordeaux has a strong digital heritage, a budding video game industry and a high-potential talent pool fueled by local schools and training programs. The city also is a UNESCO world heritage site and an internationally acclaimed hub of culture and gastronomy.

Germany is home to Blue Byte, acquired by Ubisoft in 2001. Reporting to Benedikt Grindel, Studio Manager of Ubisoft Blue Byte, the new Berlin-based studio will work closely with the existing Blue Byte teams in D?sseldorf and Mainz on an unannounced project from within one of Ubisoft?s most popular AAA franchises.  Blue Byte leads development of well-known strategy franchises such as The Settlers and Anno, and most recently collaborated on the PC version of For Honor. Ubisoft Berlin?s partnership with these established and highly-experienced teams will help ensure that the new studio integrates quickly and expands the overall expertise of Ubisoft in Germany. The new studio intends to attract both industry newcomers and seasoned video game creators from within Germany and across Europe in order to grow to a team of 50 people in its first year. Berlin is renowned for its distinctive and rich art, fashion, design, and music scenes, and has become a highly-desirable destination in Europe for start-ups and technology companies.

Ubisoft is committed to creating an inclusive work environment that reflects the diversity of our player community, and is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, ethnicity, religion, gender sexual orientation, age or disability status. We are currently recruiting for job opportunities in both Berlin (more details here) and Bordeaux (more here).