Ubisoft fires Assassin's Creed developer for criticizing the 5-day plan
Ubisoft has parted ways with the Assassin's Creed series veteran after he publicly criticized the company's policies. David Michaud-Kromp, who worked on Assassin's Creed projects for 13 years, was suspended and then fired for comments on LinkedIn.
In January, Ubisoft announced a full return to a five-day office schedule, limiting the number of remote work days. The company attributes this to the importance of individual presence to collective effectiveness and creativity in the competitive AAA gaming market.
Michaud-Kromp disagreed with this decision, arguing that the real purpose of returning to the office is not efficiency but to eliminate those who prefer to work remotely. To confirm his words, he referred to a video that, in his opinion, revealed this background.
Shortly after, the developer, who most recently served as level design lead on Assassin's Creed Shadows, was placed on unpaid leave that ended with him being fired.
Ubisoft says showing respect doesn't lead to being fired, but there is a code of conduct that governs working relationships. Violation of this rule will result in prescribed procedures depending on the severity of the violation.
Michaud-Kromp's dismissal takes place in the context of Ubisoft's overall restructuring, the goal of which is to optimize costs and potentially reduce personnel. The company proposed a voluntary layoff program, which sparked opposition from unions.
