Spanish union calls for ongoing strike action at Ubisoft Mobile Barcelona

Starting in September 2026, the CSV is organizing three days of strikes every two weeks. Workers are instructed to stop working on September 1, 2, and 3, followed by another round on the 16th, 17th, and 18th. A physical protest is also planned for Tuesday, September 1, outside the offices of Invincible: Guarding the Globe, a title developed at the Barcelona studio.

The union represents employees who are opposing a strict return-to-office mandate imposed by Ubisoft. According to a spokesperson for CSV, the company has refused to engage in negotiations with union representatives since early August. The workers' representatives state that they are still awaiting a formal response from management regarding their demands.

While the original deadline for the return-to-office policy was set for October 2026, Ubisoft reportedly delayed this requirement until January 2027 without consulting staff representatives. CSV argues that this delay does not constitute a genuine negotiation but rather an attempt to impose the policy unilaterally.

This is not the first time tensions have flared at the studio. In 2025, Ubisoft attempted to enforce an extra day of office work through individual negotiations under threat of losing remote work privileges entirely if employees did not comply. The current strike represents a collective refusal to accept such coercive measures.

The broader context involves Ubisoft's recent corporate restructuring aimed at cost reduction and a strategic pivot toward open-world experiences and games-as-a-service projects. Despite securing a $1.25 billion investment from Chinese conglomerate Tencent, the company has indicated it must rightsize its operations. This includes potential studio closures or downsizing, alongside the implementation of the controversial five-day workweek policy.

As part of this restructuring, Ubisoft announced the establishment of five 'Creative Houses' to oversee key franchises, including Assassin's Creed. The labor dispute at Mobile Barcelona highlights the friction between these high-level corporate strategies and the immediate working conditions faced by development teams on the ground.

The situation remains fluid as both sides await further developments. The union maintains that any changes to working arrangements must be negotiated transparently with employee representatives, rather than imposed through unilateral decisions or threats of policy removal.