Ubisoft has announced that it plans to shut down Trials developer RedLynx as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts, as well as reduce the workforce of its Skull and Bones studio, Ubisoft Singapore, by laying off 72 people. The closure of the Finland-based RedLynx is in a proposal stage, and Ubisoft says that because the studio isn't currently working on a new project, it makes more economic sense to close it down and retrench its 52 employees instead.
Under Finnish law (via Kotaku), Ubisoft is legally required to consult and negotiate with employees before it makes major changes to the studio, which is why Ubisoft hasn't officially announced yet that it will shut down RedLynx--although it's likely only a matter of time. The studio was first formed in 2000, and it's best known for its series of challenging--but highly enjoyable--Trials games, 2.5D motorcycle platforming games that require players to master their vehicle, gravity, and overcome a series of increasingly dangerous obstacle courses. Ubisoft acquired the studio in 2011, and RedLynx's Trials HD quickly became a breakout hit on the Xbox Arcade marketplace.
Several games in the Trails franchise have been released over the years, with the last one being Trials Rising in 2019. Since then, RedLynx assisted Massive Entertainment with the Google Stadia port of The Division 2 and the Switch 2 port of Star Wars Outlaws, and it also produced the 2023 mobile game Gwen's Getaway. Last year, RedLynx lost 60 staff members during a restructuring wave at Ubisoft and it was announced that it would pivot to making mobile games.
Meanwhile, Ubisoft Singapore is projected to be losing as much as 20% of its workforce. Established in 2008, it assisted on development of several Assassin's Creed games and it was the lead developer on Skull and Bones, Ubisoft's naval warfare game set in the golden age of piracy. "At Ubisoft Singapore, 70 positions have been impacted to align the studio with upcoming production needs," Ubisoft said in a statement to GamesIndustry.Biz. "The studio remains an important part of Ubisoft’s global production organization. We deeply value the contributions of both teams and recognize the impact this may have on our colleagues. We are committed to supporting our teams throughout this process and conducting it with care and respect."
There have been several more big changes at Ubisoft recently, including the announcement that Rainbow Six Mobile will shut down in January 2027. As part of its Creative Houses restructuring, Creative House 2 has been confusingly rebranded to Massive Entertainment, while Massive Entertainment, the studio, will continue to exist within it. Ubisoft studios across Montréal, Paris, Sweden, and Toronto fall under this Creative House, which is focused on almost all of Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy-branded games.