Last month, it was reported that sister studio Ubisoft Montpellier faces a labour investigation from French authorities, following similar reports of high burn-out and sick leave rates. They also highlighted that developers at Ubisoft Paris have a “real cohesion” with each other, along with a “big love” for the games they create and the fans who play them

However, the employee said that the appointment of managing director Marie-Sophie de Waubert has been a positive change for the studio. Although the workers were able to “learn quickly,” the core team saw their speed as a reason to “add more and more features,” causing workload issues. The source added that local developers wanted Just Dance 2023 to be pushed back into 2024, but were told by HQ that “ Just Dance must be under Christmas trees”.Īdditionally, the source claimed that the team was not given enough time to learn Just Dance 2023‘s new engine. Besides Just Dance, Ubisoft Paris has worked on the likes of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope, Watch Dogs, and Beyond Good And Evil 2. Though this source spoke primarily of their experience on Just Dance 2023, they said that to their knowledge “every project at Ubi Paris affected by crunch culture”. “We them a realistic roadmap to realise this and they refused.” “They want us to be the first game as a service and big live game of Ubisoft portfolio,” claimed the source speaking directly to NME. Part of Just Dance 2023‘s problems include demands from Ubisoft HQ, which has allegedly “challenged” the project for years. The source added that these calls for overtime were communicated through “small meetings,” and they believed that people “identified as shy” were spoken to by “intimidating” figures.

“The message was clear: ‘make overtime’.”

“During daily meetings, some employees were explicitly encouraged to work overtime,” they said. They added that some quality assurance testers would work from 10AM to midnight, with certain individuals working even longer. Speaking to NME directly, one Ubisoft employee who worked on the game confirmed that they worked 13-hour shifts – from 9AM to 10PM – while creating Just Dance 2023. The developers speaking through Solidaires Informatique claimed that paid overtime began as a controlled system “but as time passed, it became commonplace and a double standard was established”.

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