Ubisoft Lays Off 70 at Skull and Bones Studio, Closes Trials Developer RedLynx

Ubisoft continues its wave of layoffs and studio closures, with the latest round affecting the developer of Skull and Bones and shutting down Trials creator RedLynx.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, the Finnish studio RedLynx will be closed, resulting in up to 52 job losses. Meanwhile, Ubisoft Singapore, the team behind the pirate game Skull and Bones, will see 70 employees laid off. In a statement, Ubisoft maintained that Ubisoft Singapore "remains an important part of Ubisoft's global production organization." GI noted that the 70 cuts represent about a fifth of the Singapore studio's total workforce, implying around 280 staff remain.

Skull & Bones had a notoriously troubled development that dragged on for years. After multiple delays, it finally launched in early 2024 with a $70 price tag that Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot defended by calling it a "quadruple-A game." Year 3 Season 2, titled Crimson Waters, was released in August.

RedLynx, acquired by Ubisoft in 2011, had achieved massive success with games like Trials 2, Trials HD, and Trials Evolution, which challenged players to navigate increasingly difficult side-scrolling bike courses. However, after the release of Trials Rising in 2019, RedLynx shifted to a support role within Ubisoft.

It's a sad conclusion for RedLynx, once one of the most prominent Xbox Live Arcade developers. I have fond memories of playing Trials HD and Trials Evolution during lunch breaks with colleagues at my former workplace, Eurogamer, where we would laugh and shout our way to the finish line in local competitive multiplayer. Trials was infuriating—of course it was, it's called Trials—but it was also incredibly fun.

Ubisoft is, of course, still cutting costs across the board as it restructures into a leaner operation focused on fewer games. Multiple studios have closed in recent years, many employees have been laid off, and several games have been canceled.

Most recently, Natalie Francis was appointed Studio MD of Massive Entertainment, while Thomas Andrén became General Manager for Ubisoft's Creative Network. Massive Entertainment, based in Malmö, Sweden, is currently leading development on The Division 2 and The Division 3, oversees the Snowdrop game engine, and works on Ubisoft Connect.